Dear Brother Hibernians,
The blessed feast of Christmas is quickly approaching. In the midst of our busy schedules it is most important that we ask ourselves how we are allowing Christ to be reborn in our lives. Our Lord tells us that he “is making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). His Incarnation and Birth is truly something new and life-giving. However, this is not only an observation, but also a challenge to us. We too must make our relationship with the Lord always new. There is an old adage that one cannot stand still in the spiritual life—we are either advancing or falling back. We must constantly renew and advance our relationship with Christ.
Here are some ideas for the remainder of Advent and into Christmas:
- Strive to attend Mass at least one weekday.
- Pray with the family at some point during the day.
- Work on praying the Rosary. Start with a single decade, if necessary and increase from there.
- Find an opportunity for service in your community, perhaps even involving your local AOH division.
For these few ideas, there are many other ways of serving Christ and growing in relationship with him during this sacred season. Please know of my prayers for each one of you and your family and friends. Of course if there are any particular intentions that you have, please let your local division know so that we can pray for you as an Irish-Catholic brotherhood.
God bless you all!
Fr. Joseph Farrell
Virginia State Chaplain
