B I S H O P O F H A M I L T O N
700 King St. West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 1C7
December 8, 2011 Christmas 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Christmas music moves the soul! Year after year, I have listened to many Christmas carols over and over again; several have become my favourites and give me great pleasure and peace!
The many wonderful choirs throughout the Diocese of Hamilton make special efforts to assure that the music sung at Christmas Masses is their very best offering of the year. You who come to our parishes to celebrate the Christmas liturgies and listen to the music are never disappointed!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of God’s love, is joyfully proclaimed through such beautiful music. In the midst of your hectic schedules, with all the worries and concerns you carry every day, I encourage you to stop every now and then during this season of peace to listen to a Christmas carol or hymn from beginning to end. Allow it to carry you to that inner place where you meet the Lord.
Each year we celebrate the birth of the Lord anew. We recall the remarkable story of his birth in Bethlehem, and we are moved to recognize his birth each day in our lives and in our world – through acts of compassion, goodness, and love. Having received the Body and Blood of Christ at Christmas Mass, we are sent out to do what He did by our good works.
Revel in the music, recognize acts of kindness when you see them, be generous in your care for others, and know that through it all, Jesus Christ moves us to an ever deeper awareness of his love for us and for all!
May you have a blessed Christmas and joy throughout the New Year!
Sincerely in Christ and Mary Immaculate,
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(Most Rev.) Douglas Crosby, OMI
Bishop of Hamilton
Douglas, OMI