Archbishop George J. Lucas

Shepherd's Voice

Christmas 2022 finds us somewhere on our journey of faith

Christmas 2022 finds us somewhere on our journey of faith.  We look back to the first coming of Jesus, which we remember with joy at the Christmas feast.  The bible reminds us that we must also look ahead, in expectation and preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  He came in humility at his birth in Bethlehem.  When he comes again, it will be with great power and glory.

Yet we are not without the presence of Jesus in our lives right now.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we experience him with us in the church.  If we are alert to his presence, we see that Jesus is with us in our joys and sorrows.  He does not hesitate to enter the small and messy parts of our lives.  He shows us his love right where we are.

Jesus also comes to us with the power to save us from sin and death, the power to heal the wounds of sin.  We are invited at Christmas to experience both the humility and the power of our savior in a very personal way.

Here in the Archdiocese of Omaha, we are undertaking a Journey of Faith in our parishes.  We are leaving some things behind as we move into the future—places and occasions where Jesus has revealed himself to us.  We are moving ahead to a deeper encounter with Jesus, which we desire.  We are discovering new ways to proclaim Jesus to others, so that we can walk with him together.

Jesus our savior is with us this year as we journey together.  He humbles himself to share our struggles and our hopes.  He knows our hesitations and our fears about the future, but his Christmas gift to us is a future full of hope.

On our Journey of Faith, Jesus comes to meet us, so that we might experience the love and mercy of God.  He invites us to be his followers and friends.  He asks us to announce his presence to others in intentional and practical ways.

My Christmas prayer is that we will each welcome the Lord more personally, follow him more faithfully and share his merciful love more generously.  A blessed Christmas to you all.

Sign up for weekly updates and news from the Archdiocese of Omaha!
This is default text for notification bar