Do you need hope? Are you overwhelmed by the worries and anxieties of your life, whether they be personal, family, work-related or even the uncertainties that exist in our nation and in our world? Christmas is about hope! Hope for the future was born when God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. God became a human being to experience our joys and sorrows, our pain and suffering, and to encounter us in the realities of our human existence.

What are your plans for Christmas? Will be going away or staying home? If you’re staying home, you may be planning to bring along to Christmas Mass some children, grandchildren or other guests who may not have weekend Mass a normal part of their routine. This is an opportunity! It’s a chance to share with them how special your participation at Mass is to you.

As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent this weekend, Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday, we grow in anticipation and joy at the coming celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Still, some of us might be in panic mode because there's still a lot of shopping and other preparations to take care of before Christmas.

What does this season mean for you? Amidst the shopping, cards, decorations and parties, we enjoy a special spirit in the air. It’s a time of hope for happiness and renewed love in our relationships with family members and friends. But, however hard we try to create this atmosphere and come together for fun, there is still something missing… something intangible, which calls from the depths of our hearts.