"O God, who in your kindness begin all good things and bring them to fulfillment, grant to us, who find joy in the Solemnity of the holy Mother of God, that, just as we glory in the beginnings of your grace, so one day we may rejoice in its completion."
(Liturgy of the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, Prayer Over the Offerings)

A very Peace-filled New Year
to one and all!

Dear Friends,

« Crăciun fericit ! » - in Romanian: «Merry Christmas»! My letter will certainly arrived after December 25 but I think that the light of the Nativity is still shining brightly, a light that many countries and many people need so much! I hope that you were able to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child as it was meant to be, this event whose deepest meaning is ever relevant, as the Fathers of the Eastern Church state so clearly: «God became man so that man could become God.» An inspiring point of view --- a challenge for all of us!

By Dan Finucane

I hope that this email finds you all well. I hope that it won’t be too long of an email – I have done my best to organize my thoughts beforehand, so that I can be concise while still offering lots of insight into life here. First, some pictures of the grounds here at the mission – the first is the friary (you can see the bright red-orange jacaranda trees in the background, which bloom at the driest point of the year here) and the second is my room.

"Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us; and he will be called Wondrous God, Prince of peace, Father of future ages: and his reign will be without end."
(Christmas Mass at Dawn, Entrance Antiphon, Isaiah 9:1, 5: Luke 1:33) 

A very Blessed Christmas to all
in the Assumption Family!