My dear brothers and sisters in Christ of the Diocese of Birmingham, as we approach the holy celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of our Lord, our hearts this year carry both joy and sorrow. We cannot ignore the pain that has recently touched our own community and our wider world - our global human family - as a lens through which Christmas, as a divine antidote, offers a message of hope and peace.

First, we remember, with deep sadness, Ella Cooke, a young woman from the greater Birmingham community. A life full of promise and hope taken far too soon. Her tragic death at Brown University has shaken us profoundly. We hold her family close in our prayers, along with her friends and her faith community at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, just down the street from our own Cathedral of St. Paul, here in downtown Birmingham. May her family and faith community know the nearness of God's consolation, and may Ella rest in the peace of the Lord.

Second, we also grieve with our Jewish brothers and sisters whose lives were brutally and senselessly taken at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia as they gathered to mark the beginning of Hanukkah, a sacred festive celebration of light, hope, and remembrance. Their loss reminds us just how fragile life is and how urgently our world longs for peace and serenity in society.

Indeed, this year, we are painfully aware that in many parts of our world, our country, our cities, and even our neighborhoods, violence, injustice, and cruelty threaten to overshadow the beauty and goodness God has placed before us, even as we dream about what could be as we gaze on the serene nativity sets. These sad realities can distract us from wonder and tempt us to succumb to fear, despair, or apathy about life that make the attainment of peace elusive and out of reach.

Yet it is precisely into such a world that Jesus is born. In the little town of Bethlehem, an out of the way place, humble, and overlooked, God chooses to enter human history. Jesus comes to us small, vulnerable, lovable, and utterly approachable. The Prince of Peace arrives not with armies, force, or domination, but as a child laid in a manger.

He is God's gift of peace to the world. God did not send an idea or give us a theory. He sent Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus assures us hope is possible. Peace is possible. A different way of living and loving is possible. It is a way that honors the dignity of every person, rejects violence, and seeks reconciliation.

In Christ, we are shown a more complete way of life; one rooted in mercy, justice, compassion, and self-giving love. The Angel's song still echoes across the centuries: “Peace on earth. Goodwill to all.” This is not an empty wish, but a promise entrusted to us, the followers of Christ, to live and to share this amazing gift to the world.

For us, the gift of Christ in our lives can be for the world a new Christmas every day. May the light of Christ's birth shine into every dark place, heal every wounded heart, and renew our commitment to be instruments and agents of His peace. To each of you and to your families, I wish you a very blessed Christmas.

May the newborn Savior fill you with hope, joy, health, and peace this day and in the year ahead. God bless you all and Merry Christmas.

To view the video, please visit bhmdiocese.org.