Saint Cecilia's Church

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Christmas is the time of joy, love, hope, and peace. We happily join with billions of peoples around the world in remembering the birth of our Saviour. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

In the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 2, verses 8-11: An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘‘Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord”.

We are joyful because, as Pope Francis said in his 2023 Christmas homily, that the Mystery of Incarnation “truly is the sign that reveals God’s face, a face of compassion and mercy, whose might is shown always and only in love. He makes himself close, tender, and compassionate. This is God’s way: closeness, compassion, tenderness.

May each Christmas, as it comes, find us more and more like the Lord. We are all invited to join the Mission of the Lord to bring happiness, hope, peace, and joy to one another.

I would like to thank all of you for your great support throughout the year of 2024. I pray that all of us will be out of the darkness of the current economic difficulty soon. We also pray for the peace of the world. Together,

let us continue to build up our community as a community of Faith, Hope, and Charity throughout the year of 2025.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with God’s Blessings.

Fr. Joseph Tap Tran, Pastor