Bishop Mark L. Bartchak delivered his annual Christmas message to the media at his residence in Hollidaysburg on December 17. In his remarks, the Bishop referred to an article he read by spiritual writer and speaker Marilyn Ehle in which she asks the question "Where is your Bethlehem?," meaning "Where is Jesus Christ born into your life?" Here is an excerpt of Bishop Mark's 2013 Christmas message.
So where is your Bethlehem as we celebrate Christmas this year? The Gospel of Jesus Christ, his sacraments, and his Church remain the components of the most enduring and reliable GPS that anyone could imagine.
We are all on a JOURNEY of faith. We are all invited by the Lord Jesus Christ to BUILD his Kingdom on earth with living stones. Those living stones come in all ages, sizes, and shapes. We are to PROFESS the faith we have in Christ by sharing with others that he is the way, the truth, and the life.
If you seem to be more on the side of the road and in need of directions for Bethlehem, remember that nearly nine months before their arrival in Bethlehem, Mary spoke life-changing words to God, words that were to comfort her in the many uncertain years ahead: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."
With those simple words of faith, Mary could endure the long journey on the back of a donkey, the crude stable with its straw-lined manger in Bethlehem, and even the anguish of the suffering and death of her son Jesus on the Cross, not to mention the joy that came from his birth and his glorious resurrection!
Where is your Bethlehem? Has the path been long or the circumstances burdensome? Shepherds and three Wise men are part of the story of Bethlehem, and they needed directions to find the city of David and birthplace of Jesus. It changed their lives. May Christmas this year and all the Bethlehems of your life bring you the same joy, the same hope, and the same reliable direction.
You can read Bishop Mark's entire Christmas 2013 message on the Diocesan website at www.dioceseaj.org. [Photo: Bishop Mark talks with Father Boniface Hicks, OSB, of We Are One Body Radio before delivering his annual Christmas message to the media.]