You may recall that our theme for this year’s Harvest Festival was PAUL: People of one Accord, United in the Lord. I personally formulated the theme because that is how I envision our church to be. The pandemic made us distant from one another, physically or another way. It has also caused certain forms of division and misunderstanding. Admittedly, we are still feeling its effects. While it may take years to fully recover, we realize that the door to it is to remind ourselves that we are one St. Paul family - one people, one heart, one with the Lord.

The various new events that we have implemented in the past months were intentional. “Holyween” Trunk or Treat, To the Heights (Hike and Pray), Welcome Hospitality for New Parishioners, Mass of the Holy Spirit for Catechetical Families among many others were all meant to foster fellowship and strengthen parish community life.

God desires to establish a community of believers on earth as it is in heaven. We see this so clearly in the life and mission of Jesus. The Incarnate Son pitched his tent among us in order to gather God’s scattered people – the people scattered by sin and death. He called the Twelve and gathered many other men and women to follow him. In his suffering, he prayed that “all may be one, as you Father, are in me and I in you.” (Jn. 17, 21) After his death and resurrection, he appeared to the disciples and miraculously led to catching a net full of large fish, all one hundred fifty-three of them (cf. Jn. 21).

This Christmas, let us all come together and be people of one accord, united in the Lord. Come home. Come back home. Let the sin of division and separation be healed by the sacrament of unity, the Holy Eucharist. Around the table of plenty, let us pray that the Lord may give us peace, that He may not look on our sins but on the faith of the Church, and that He may graciously grant us peace and unity in accordance with His will. It is true - a truly meaningful Christmas is not possible without the Eucharist.

Together with Fr. Mike and Fr. Mahka, the Deacons and their spouses, and all of our personnel, I greet you a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year. May your families be blessed abundantly by the God whose generosity can never be outdone. Blessings!