CHRIST OUR HOPE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

— GOAL: $10 MILLION ACTUAL $3,528,959.87 Calls Everyone By Name - To become holy, to become , we must, of course, try as hard as we can to do God’s will as it comes to us in a general A People in Darkness have seen a Great Light way that is valid for everyone: through Scripture, the Com- While many of us understandably yearn to go back to ‘normal,” mandments, Church teaching, and so on. It is also indispen- this year’s small and humble celebration of Christmas reminds us sable to go further: to aspire to know not only what God de- that the conditions surrounding the birth of , the first Christ- mands of everyone in general, but also what he wants more mas, were anything but normal. Mary and had to leave specifically of me individually. the comfort of their home and travel 90 miles, a four-to-nine-day — Father Jacques Philippe, In the School of the Holy Spirit journey, to register for the census in Bethlehem. When the time came for Jesus to be born, they could not find a place to stary. Instead, Jesus, the Son of God, was born in a manger. This was not what Mary and Joseph had envisioned. The first Christmas was anything but normal. But God chose to be born in those dark and difficult times, and he chooses to be born in our hearts today! So, on this Christmas Day, “Arise! Shine for your light has come, the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you” ( 60:1).

The Grace of Sickness Please note: When Mass is in the Church, people EPIPHANY can stay in their car and listen on their car radio. When they entered the house, they beheld the 98.5 FM Child with Mary His Mother. Falling to their When you make a purchase using Amazon Smile, a charitable dona- knees, they paid Him homage. tion is made by Amazon to the church. –– Steps: -Matthew2:9-11 Go to smile.amazon.com REFLECTION: If we approach with faith, we too will see -, Catherine Doherty Select "Choose your charity" Grace in Every Season Jesus…. for the Eucharistic table takes the place of the crib. Here the Body of the Lord is present, Search for and select wrapped not in swaddling clothes but in the rays of the " Luke Parish Fairfax" or Holy Spirit. -St. “Ascension Parish” Then save smile.amazon.com as your regular Amazon book- PRAYER: Lord, God, teach me to see the living pres- mark. Now every time you make a purchase on Amazon, they will ence of your Divine Son in the Holy Eucharist. Make automatically donate a small portion of the purchase to us. You don't my faith so vivid that I will gladly come to encounter need to do anything else. Jesus in every Mass.

Donation envelope boxes for 2021 are in the back of the church. If you don’t see your name and --- would like one, please see Fr. Furman. - ARE YOU NEW TO THE PARISH? If you are new to the parish, please introduce yourself to Father or call the rectory. Welcome!