Bishops' Schedules: Schedule of Bishop Robert C. Morlino Friday, December 26, 2003 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Bishop's Gathering with Seminarians, Bishop's Residence, Madison Sunday, December 28, 2003 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Sunday, January 4, 2004 10:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, The Epiphany of the Lord, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison Schedule of Bishop George O. Wirz No events to report

Mystery of Christmas:
The Word became flesh

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory . . . " "Grace appeared!"

These two proclamations of Christmas, the first from the Fourth Gospel, the second from St. Paul, call our attention to what is central in the wonderful mystery of Christmas. Our God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, according to their own eternal plan, sent the Son, the Second Person, to a visible, concrete presence in our world according to His human nature.

"As we give thanks from the heart for the coming of Christ in history, and as we look forward to His final coming in majesty at the end of history, let us allow our faith to be stirred in the presence of Christ which we experience day to day in mystery, the mystery that we call the Church."

The sense of the whole world in its entirety, from beginning to end, is known only to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. How loving that the Son would take flesh, so that the sense of the whole world, of all reality from beginning to end, would dwell among us.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

In Christ we have the gift of Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In our time and culture if someone speaks the absolute truth as taught by Christ, he or she might well be called arrogant.

It is unfortunate that in our time and culture people choose to look on the messenger who comes in the name of Christ with suspicion and maybe even contempt rather than on the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit which is literally embodied in Christ. He is the perfect copy of the Father, and the final Word of Truth.

Experience Christ in the Church

Those of us in the Body of Christ, his continuing visible presence on earth, suffer from the sin of the world and it shows itself among us sometimes to a significant degree. And yet the visible body of Christ on earth, the Church of Christ, is His Church, established by Him who is our God with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. To love Christ present in our world with gratitude for the saving plan of the Trinity is to love the Church of Christ - there can be no wedge driven between Christ and His Church.

As we give thanks from the heart for the coming of Christ in history, and as we look forward to His final coming in majesty at the end of history, let us allow our faith to be stirred in the presence of Christ which we experience day to day in mystery, the mystery that we call the Church.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

As I said in my "Christmas Card" published in last week's Catholic Herald, you will all have my loving remembrance in the Masses of Christmas Day and I ask a remembrance in your good prayers as well. We are bound together in our need for prayer because we are bound together in our need for Christ. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Thank you for reading this, God bless you and Merry Christmas.