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Show tnotmtam Published by the Diocese of Salt Lake Business Manager Very Rev. Mons. Duane G. Hunt VOL. IV. , -- Business Address 331 East South Temple, Was. 8826 Salt Lake City, Utah vv Editor Rev. Louis J. Fries, S.T.B. DECEMBER, 1926 NO. 4 Bishops Letter December 10, 1926. My dearly beloved People: It is with feelings of very deep affection that I send my first Christmas greeting to the clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese of Salt Lake. Only a short year ago it was my devoted predecessor, Bishop Glass of happy memory who, as the Father of this little flock, wished you the blessings of the holy season. I am sure that from his place in heaven today he is interceding for you and for me and obtaining for us the graces that will prepare our hearts for the coming of the Divine Infant. BethleGod is Love and God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son. hem is the proof of Gods infinite love for us. It seemed as if God felt that man would never realize a tithe of His yearning solicitude for the creatures of His choice unless His love were shown in some human form; and so we have the Divine Infant in the Crib at Bethlehem, the Boy in the humble Home at Nazareth, the Man of Labor in the Carpenter Shop, the Teacher and Preacher and Missionary in the three years of the Public Ministry throughout the highways and byways of Palestine, the Man of Sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Victim on the Cross of Calvary. In humiliation and obscurity, in poverty and labor, in suffering and hardship, the God made Man would show His love for us; by every human appeal God would manifest His affection. And the most winning, most affectionate of all,, is the appeal He made from the Crib at Bethlehem. He comes not as a King in pomp and glory, not as a Conqueror in triumph and victory, not even as a full grown Man in the strength of manhood; but He comes as a helpless, homeless little Baby, in poverty and suffering. How God must love us when He comes in such a manner ! And all this manifestation of love from Bethlehem to Calvary was for the purpose of The one thing God wants is love; He has given His winning the love of our human hearts. Have we realized His love? Have we answered His appeal? very life to win our affection. Or do we allow other interests to fill our hearts and crowd out the loving Saviour? Let us the side of Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds and go to Bethlehem and take our place by then let us give our answer to that little Child wrapped in gaze upon the newborn Babe, and swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. May this Christmas be a fresh revelation of Gods love to us! May it bring a realization of His infinite affection for us and may we learn to give the love of our hearts to Christ, our ' ' newborn King! JOHN J. MITTY, Bishop of Salt Lake. , |