Around the Parish – December 25, 2025
Published on December 24, 2025
What Does It Mean to Call Him the Christ?
Every Christmas we greet one another with the joyful news: “Christ is born!” But have you ever paused to consider what it really means to call Jesus the Christ? We say it so easily that the weight of the title can slip past us unnoticed. “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name—it is His identity. His mission. His kingship.
The word Christos means the Anointed One, the One God promised through the prophets and longed for by generation after generation of Israel. When someone in the Old Testament was anointed, it meant that God had chosen them for a sacred task: prophets were anointed to speak God’s word, priests to offer sacrifice, and kings to shepherd the people in God’s name. To call Jesus the Christ is to recognize Him as the fulfillment of every one of those hopes: the true Prophet, the eternal High Priest, and the King whose reign brings mercy, justice, and peace.
Christmas invites us to see this clearly—not through grand displays of earthly power, but through the humility of Bethlehem. Our King comes to us quietly, without armies or splendor, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Yet this is precisely how God chooses to reveal His heart: a kingship defined not by domination but by compassion; not by force, but by love.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, I encourage you to take a moment and ask: What does it mean in my own life to worship Jesus as the Christ—as my King?
Perhaps it means offering Him the gift of your attention in prayer.
Perhaps it means surrendering a burden you’ve been carrying alone.
Perhaps it means choosing mercy in a place where resentment has taken root. Perhaps it means letting Him reign in a part of your life where you’ve kept Him at a distance.
Worshiping Jesus as the Christ doesn’t require dramatic gestures. It begins in the small, quiet places where we allow Him to be Lord—where we let His peace guide us, His mercy heal us, and His truth shape the way we live.
As we prepare to come together for the liturgy of Christmas, my hope is that this reflection opens your heart to encounter the Child of Bethlehem not simply as a baby in a manger, but as the Christ, the One who comes to reign in love.
May we welcome Him with joy, and may His presence bring peace to your home and to all those you love.
Merry Christmas, and may Christ the King be born anew in your heart.
Pax et Bonum,
Fr. Andy
The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions
The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.
Offering Masses for the Deceased:
Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.
The Mass: Center of Christian Life:
Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.
Requesting a Mass Intention:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.
Offering a Mass Stipend:
The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.
