‘May Christmas joy fill your heart’
CHARLOTTE — After weeks of preparing for Christmas, make this year’s celebration – which continues until Epiphany on Jan. 7 – a time of joy and gladness, Bishop Peter Jugis urged the faithful during midnight Mass Dec. 25 at St. Patrick Cathedral.
More than a year after work began to renovate and repair the 84-year-old cathedral, its new look was on full display for Christmas – freshly painted red, blue and gold artwork in the sanctuary and nave sparkling in the candlelight.
Christmas carols sung by the cathedral’s choir and accompanied by a trumpet and cello, lots of candles and flowers, brightly-lit Christmas trees, poinsettias and wreaths, and special prayers enhanced the festive occasion for a near-capacity crowd of 275 worshipers.
Midnight Mass began with the traditional Christmas Proclamation, followed by Bishop Jugis processing in with a statue of the baby Jesus that he placed in the manger of the cathedral’s Nativity display. He incensed the display, then knelt and led the congregation in silent prayer for several minutes.
During his homily, Bishop Jugis encouraged people to make room in their hearts for the joy that the birth of Jesus brings.
The angel’s message to the shepherds in Bethlehem, recounted in the Gospel of Luke (2:1-14), tells of the “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” These words, Bishop Jugis said, are still meaningful for us today – on this “glorious day of Christmas.”
The past four weeks of Advent have been a time of waiting and hectically preparing for the arrival of the Savior, he said. In the ancient world, the word “advent” also described the visit of a king to his people.
“Well, Christmas is here! The King has come, He has arrived! He is at Bethlehem in Judea. He is visiting His kingdom, and He is here to stay with us,” the bishop said enthusiastically.
“Let us enjoy the celebration of Christ’s birth,” he said. “That word – enjoy – is key to the celebration of Christmas.”
Christmas “is a season of gladness, a season of happiness, a season of joy as we celebrate Jesus Our Savior and the gift of salvation He brings. The Lord fills our hearts with joy and He lifts our spirits as we celebrate Christmas.”
“Let us enter into the joy of Christmas with all our heart,” Bishop Jugis continued. “May Christmas joy fill your heart. May Christmas gladness fill your heart. May Christmas happiness fill your heart.
“Let us welcome Jesus our King into our hearts and into our lives once again. Let us make room for Him. In fact, let us make a lot of room for Him in our hearts and in our lives.”
He concluded with a blessing to the faithful: “May Christ Jesus bless your family and your home with His Christmas joy.”
— Patricia Guilfoyle. Photos by Troy Hull and Patricia Guilfoyle.
