The Bishop of Albany's Christmas message
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Two months ago I knelt at the traditional site in Bethlehem marking the birthplace of our Blessed Lord. To get to that holy place we had to pass through a political and physical dividing wall, wait for a long period in the Church of the Nativity and stand quietly as Eastern Christians chanted the Office and Latin Christians conducted a funeral. All this was in the midst of the oldest church in Christendom which itself is in major disrepair.
It occurs to me that our journey to the Lord can involve crossing difficult borders, experiencing interruptions by other Christians or external forces. Sometimes it seems as though the journey to the Lord is impossible. We may think of our lives as in disrepair. And that is why Christ came, to call the sick and not the well. The truth is that the Lord is the one Who is seeking us and will cross every obstacle to bring us to Himself. Christ is the real seeker, seeking to draw us closer to His heart of love. .
This Christmastide I invite you to welcome the Lord Jesus into your life in a deeper way. Let your confidence in His never-failing love impel you to invite others to respond to the Savior. Take time to share the true Gift of Christmas -- the Father's gift of his only Son, who for us and for our salvation took flesh of the Virgin Mary and was born for us in Bethlehem. Invite a friend or neighbor to come with you to church for Christmas.
As Christians we desire to let every heart prepare Him room. I pray that your heart will be filled this Christmas with the presence and power of the Incarnate Lord. I pray that as you receive his Body and Blood in Holy Communion you will know the joy the Angels proclaimed to the Shepherds.
With every wish for a holy Christmas and a blessed New Year, I remain
Faithfully In Christ,
+ William H. Love
Bishop of Albany