Christmas Message from Bishop Solis

Intermountain Catholic

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Greetings of Christ’s peace and love to all our faith communities, clergy, religious and Church ministers throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City, as well as to all the people of God in Utah. 

Christmas is a special moment when God in his infinite love sent his only Begotten Son into the world as the promised Messiah in a most unusual and surprising way. In the mystery of the Incarnation, God took flesh through the Blessed Virgin Mary, who conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus to save us from our sins. The prophet Isaiah proclaims: “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of gloom a light has shone. … For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:1,5) 

That first Christmas remains a defining moment that brings joy and peace to our troubled world. God’s magnificent gift highlights the dawn of hope to a broken humanity wrecked by war, moral and spiritual degradation, blatant disregard for the sanctity of life and human dignity, and ecological pollution of our common home to the detriment of the poor. In the midst of these sobering realities, a light continues to shine and dispel the darkness. Jesus, the Emmanuel, remains to accompany us on our journey of life to fill our hearts with hope.

The powerful message of Christmas is the infinite love of God for us. It is the same love that has been made known through the centuries, but it is obscured by sin and man’s indifference to the abiding presence of Christ our Savior. Still, the precious blessing we receive does not stay with us, but is to be shared with one another to make our world a better place. Pope Francis, in his message for the 2023 World Day of Peace, said, “Our greatest and yet most fragile treasure is our shared humanity as brothers and sisters, children of God. None of us can be saved alone.”

Amidst the present world of trouble and instability, God has not abandoned us. The Mystery of the Incarnation reminds us that God is near and made visible in Jesus. It is his unique way of reaching out to us, sharing our human life with its joys, struggles and sufferings. That is why Christmas is here. The light continues to shine in darkness, and no “cancel culture” can deprive us of experiencing the living and saving love of God for us and for the world. 

As the Child Jesus lies in the manger, and every time we go to Mass to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we find in our midst God’s divine presence; in him we can place all our trust. Let us now welcome the Savior into our hearts and into our homes so that the blessings of love, joy and peace that Christmas brings may be upon us and in our world. 

I pray for the people of God in our diocese and in the world, and wish you all a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

The Most Rev. Oscar A. Solis

Bishop of Salt Lake City