Merry Christmas 2008!

From wherever you are reading this, we in southeastern Wisconsin are having a very white Christmas. It could change, of course! The snow is sloppy wet and the temps seem to be going up. But, then again, we're expecting another 3 inches or so today. Glory to God!

We Franciscans are preparing to celebrate along with the rest of the Christian world (which follows the Gregorian calendar), the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great celebration of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

It really is a glorious celebration, which St. Francis rated very high. One of our friars, Fr. Roch Niemier, OFM was recently taped about the first Franciscan celebration of the Lord's Nativity in Grecchio, Italy in 1223. You can find it on YouTube and at our Web site, http://www.franciscan-friars.org/.

However you and your loved ones celebrate this holy day and feast of feasts, may the Lord Immanuel bless you greatly as you commemorate the Word made Flesh in human history. How wonderful is our God!

Merry and blessed Christmas!

!Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale! Froeliche Weinnachten! Joyeaux Noel! Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia! Sretan Bozic! Vesele vianoce! Nollaig Shona Duit! Mele Kelikimaka! Linksmu Kaledu! Christos Rozdajetsja! Slavite jeho!

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