A Christmas Blessing

Dear Friend of St. Jude,

In the days of Jesus’ birth, shepherds were often on the outskirts of society. They were the least likely to be chosen as the first to greet Jesus, yet they immediately responded to God’s Word from the angels and rushed to find the Savior.

This Christmas I pray that we, too, will immediately respond to God’s word and rush to greet our Savior. As we gaze on beautiful Nativity scenes in our homes, in Church, or on cards, we are reminded how God sent His Son to redeem us, and how Mary and Joseph immediately agreed to be His parents. Jesus’ early beginnings call to mind the poverty He was born into – a humble stable, shepherds coming first, and only the angels singing joyfully.

Today’s world seems to be cluttered with many requests for our time and attention. During this Holy Season, let’s promise ourselves that we will find quiet moments to reflect on the shepherds’ joy in learning that all they were told by the angels was true – and how they returned to the fields glorifying and praising God.

Let us also not forget that Mary and Joseph were poor, tired, hungry, and homeless when they got to Bethlehem. The Savior of the world was born into poverty, oppression, and injustice. Our Nativity scene reveals exactly what Jesus’ ministry was to be – love for the poor, forgiveness for the sinner, and welcoming for the outcast.

Thank you for sharing in Jesus’ ministry and for helping our Pallottine priests and brothers bring the love of Christ to those in desperate need. Inspired by St. Jude, we Pallottines bring the message of hope to people who are struggling around the world. From delivering food and spiritual care to people in isolated villages of the Andes Mountains . . . to providing an education to orphans in Sudan . . . to providing shelter and emergency relief to refugees in Nigeria, our priests and brothers work on the front lines, caring for the poorest of the poor.

Thank you for your faithful support of our ministries. As our gift to you, our priests and brothers will be honored to remember you and your loved ones in our Christmas Novena of Masses. We will call upon St. Jude’s powerful intercession for those in your life who need help and hope – perhaps a relative is battling an addiction . . . a child is going through a difficult time . . . or a dear friend is fighting a serious illness.

I invite you to send us your prayer intentions. Your petitions will be lovingly remembered in prayer and all our good works. Please continue to help us by supporting our ministry with a Christmas offering.

Your gift today will help us bring food to feed hungry families, medicine to save lives, clean drinking water to keep children from dying from water borne diseases – all with an abundant measure of God ‘s love.

Our deep appreciation goes out to you for all you continue to do for us. Thanks to your prayers, sacrifices and financial support, we Pallottines do the work God has called us to do. Through our ministries, we reach so many people who do not know the love of our Savior. Our hope is that everyone will experience the richness of God ‘s everlasting love.