Peace! When we planned for our neighborhood Christmas celebration, we trusted that the Lord would provide all we needed to help make Christmas beautiful for our friends. We also knew we needed to help bring the Gospel to life, so that all of us–Franciscans, volunteers and neighbors–would bear in mind the real reason why we celebrate Christmas: “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (Jn 3:16).”
Saturday December 14, 2013 was nothing short of miraculous! Blessings included scenic snowfall all day, over 5,000 gifts, and thousands of sandwiches and Christmas cookies. God’s providence was evident, and the generosity of His sons and daughters was clear. We were able to serve over 1,200 of our friends from the neighborhood that day, and everyone who came had an opportunity to stop by the beautiful Nativity Set in the Church and reflect on why we celebrate Christmas. St. Francis began this tradition nearly 800 years ago in Greccio, and to this day Christians all over the world set up Nativity Scenes to help share the Good News about Jesus Christ and Salvation!
We hope you enjoy the short video we put together to share some highlights of the day. We plan to share some more stories from our Christmas celebration in the days to come, so check back soon. God bless you!