Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christmas celebrates the reason for our hope, as Sacred Scripture proclaims: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (Lk 2:11) The coming of the Lord offers us a sure hope no matter our challenges or circumstances. Our hope for true peace in the world, for unity rather than division, and for a better future for ourselves and our loved ones — we draw all these hopes from Christ and our union with him.
This Christmas, Pope Francis will inaugurate the opening of the Holy Year of 2025, a Jubilee Year in our Church, with the theme “pilgrims of hope” and strengthening us with the words of St. Paul: “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). As one family of faith, may our lives this Christmas and throughout the Holy Year be marked by the hope that does not fade, so that by God’s grace, we may faithfully and lovingly journey with one another toward eternal happiness with our Father in Heaven.
May Our Lord Jesus bless you and fill you with his peace at Christmas and always, and may the hope he inspires be shared with all those you encounter in the new year to come.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge
Bishop of Arlington
