Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall,
This Christmas 2024, the Church invites us to reflect on a profoundly relevant theme: “Hope Incarnated.” This hope, born in the simplicity of the manger in Bethlehem, reminds us that Christian faith is not limited to words or ideas, but is embodied in our lives, our actions and our commitments.
Christmas teaches us that God himself chose to become incarnate, becoming one of us, and through this, offering us redemption and renewing our humanity. In Jesus Christ, hope takes on a face, that of a fragile child who is nevertheless the bearer of an infinite promise. This mystery of the Incarnation calls us to make our lives tangible sign of God’s love and mercy for all.
Christmas 2024 also marks an important threshold, as it opens the door to the Jubilee Year 2025. This Jubilee is a unique opportunity to renew our faith and fully live out our vocation as disciples of Christ. Through this theme of Hope Incarnated, we are invited to reflect on how we, in turn, can make hope come alive: in our families, our communities, and in the world.
To embody hope is to take concrete steps toward justice, solidarity, and reconciliation. It means extending a hand to those who suffer, bringing peace where conflict reigns, and sowing joy in a world often marked by anxiety.
During this festive season, may the love of Christ illuminate your hearts and inspire you to become living bearers of this hope. Together, let us move forward in faith into the Jubilee Year, ready to bear witness to the promise of a God who continues to act in our midst.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
✠Marcel Damphousse
Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall
✠Yvan Mathieu, S.M.
Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa-Cornwall
