A blessed Christmas to you and your families!
With Advent coming to a close, we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior. And what a glorious day the 25th of December is for the entire world. On that day we recall and celebrate that Jesus the Christ chose to be born in the most humble and vulnerable of circumstances so that we might have life abundant.
His incarnation and birth reveal the dignity and worth of every human being as our Lord takes on flesh and sanctifies it. His incarnation and birth reveal the great love that God the Father has for every person. And we rejoice and revel in this love.
For this reason the Church "extends" Christmas to an Octave - eight whole days to celebrate Christmas day and to gaze upon the Lord of Lords and King of Kings; eight days to marvel at God's goodness and allow his love to transform our minds and our hearts. The Octave of Christmas ends on January 1st which this year is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
But, wait! Don't pull down those religiously themed Christmas decorations just yet! The Christmas season continues until the 9th of January which is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. So, keep up those decorations (even if the tree is looking quite dilapidated) and continue to rejoice, for our Savior has been born, and we have much cause for joy.
Speaking of rejoicing, you may recall from my most recent newsletter that Cindy and I were to find out this Monday whether she carries a boy or girl in her womb. And we are so thrilled that God has blessed us with another little daughter. To see her on that ultrasound screen and to hear her heart beat was and is just amazing. What struck me most this time was when the doctor paused over our daughter's beating heart. You could actually see the four individual chambers of the heart beating beautifully and in perfect unison. Can there be any doubt? Life is beautiful.
I am also full of joy as I look back at all that has been accomplished in the last 7 months since I was named national director of HLI America. We have formed a great community that is writing excellent articles every day for our Truth and Charity Forum. Our LifeWatch column is published by Zenit.com every other week, and we have a regular monthly column in diocesan papers. Our Truth and Charity Forum articles regularly appear on the websites of our many partners, and at least eight magazines and journals have or will soon be publishing articles written by the HLI America team.
Registration for our conference on End of Life Issues is going well (If you haven't signed up, don't forget to do so!) and we soon will be announcing details for another exciting conference. Members of the HLI America team have also spoken at a number of conferences and events sponsored by other organizations as well.
HLI America has also been involved with analysis and calls to action over the Obama administration's "contraceptive mandate" and seemingly anti-Catholic agenda. We will continue to focus on Election 2012, especially on those issues that most impact life and family. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The most exciting programs of HLI America are actively being implemented and designed as I write. Expect a host of announcements over the first few months of 2012!
I thank you for your support over these last seven months. I ask for your continued support, especially through your prayers, and through getting the word out to others. Lastly, I thank you for the financial support that so many have given. As Christmas approaches and 2011 comes to an end, please consider making a donation to HLI America to support our work in defense of life and the family. This support is greatly appreciated.
Life is beautiful and we are deeply blessed by the whole HLI America community who is dedicated to serving and protecting the life of every person. May God bless you, your families, and your various ministries and apostolates.
Merry Christmas!
