Bishop Douglas Deshotel of the Diocese of Lafayette offers his 2018 Christmas and New Year’s message.
Here’s a transcription provided by the Diocese:
“God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son.”
Hello, I’m Bishop Douglas Deshotel of the Diocese of Lafayette, wanting to extend to all of you all the blessings and graces of this holy season.
These words from the Gospel of St. John remind us of the central meaning of the Feast of Christmas that we celebrate at this time of the year, that God loved us enough to become one of us, to share in our human nature, that we might share in His divine nature.
This great act of love is exhibited by the way we care for each other and exchange gifts at this holy time of the year, to share our love for others, imitating God’s love for us.
In each and every moment, we see the miracle of Christmas, when someone is helping a friend in need, when someone cares for the bodily needs of another, with clothing, with food, or with shelter, are all signs of how we imitate the love of God for us.
And I pray that all of you and your families enjoy this intimate love that God has had for us, in sharing and enjoying the Christmas festivities.
As Bishop, I wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
