We hear reports these days that the managers of many businesses, including a number of national chain stores, are encouraging employees this year to wish their customers "Merry Christmas," rather than the weak and ambiguous "Happy Holidays."
This is an encouraging development, recognizing the unmatchable richness of Christmas, the preparation for which we have begun with the four weeks of Advent. There can be much busy activity in the season, but relax, there is still much time to go.
In the midst of all the bustle, some quiet time reminds us that Christmas is the expression of God’s graciousness, which is sheer gift. It calls for a "Yes" on our part and that "Yes" to be repeated many times. Gratitude is at the heart of our love for God, and that spirit grows by repeated acts of attention and focused energy.
Our hymns and carols should remind us of the many ways we have been saying "Yes" to God and to our neighbor throughout the year. Think of the wonder of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal and the ways your generosity reaches out to so many people in need. The current total is $9.091 million, with a month to go. The average gift this year is higher than last year’s.
We are told that unemployment is now "down" to 9.5 percent, but we know that the figure is higher in many parts of our Archdiocese. If you are unemployed, the percentages don’t mean that much. Remember our Emergency Assistance Fund, bringing parishes and Catholic Charities together to meet the acute needs of individuals and families. Think of our re-employment programs, which we fund in various parishes to bring people back to work. Volunteers work in these programs, and many of them are human services people who are showing impressive success. When one tree falls, the noise is loud, but nobody hears the growing of the forest. Food, clothing, medical care, transportation to work, assistance with rental bills, and help for utilities costs – in all of these you say "Yes" to the reality of Christmas throughout the year.
Your generosity extends well beyond our Archdiocesan boundaries. Think of the earthquake last January in Haiti, which buried 300,000 people and left two million people displaced throughout the country. Catholic Relief Services in the United States received $148.9 million for the earthquake relief and rebuilding, including $82.5 million coming from the dioceses of our country. From our Archdiocese, we gave a remarkable $1.2 million for Haiti. This figure does not include the personal work of volunteers and parishes from here helping to meet the tremendous challenges in Haiti.
We should also note the goodness with which you responded to the Catholic Relief Collection this year to meet the emergencies in Sudan, Chile, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. Recall, too, that in recent years you replied with superb generosity to the Catholic Relief Services’ requests for the victims of the tsunami in the countries bordering the Indian Ocean and for the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Region of the United States.
As we prepare for Christmas, you continue to show convincingly that you practice the dual exercise of lifting up your hands in prayer and rolling up your sleeves in work. You reflect the strong Catholic practice of combining the contemplative and the apostolic. It is the response to Christmas.
It is appropriate to mention at this point that in November, we had the annual Priests’ Convocation. The theme was Evangelization, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the World. This, of course, is the message of Christmas. We devoted much attention to the digital world in which we live and to the explosion of technology which advances every day. We continue to learn of amazing opportunities that are available to us to communicate with our people and to bring more people into a sense of connectedness. People want to be part of a family that prays and works together, enlarging our Christmas.
All of our parishes, agencies, and offices are being called to strengthen our mission of evangelization. We will be providing updates as our work proceeds from clergy, religious, and laypeople. The efforts build and expand on the Spirit already in all of us. Your record shows your strong understanding of this reality and provides strong hope for now and for the future. Your "Yes" is profoundly based and more than edifying.
With heartfelt gratitude, therefore, I wish you a Merry Christmas now and for all the New Year ahead.
