Welcome
Pastor Julio C. Peña's December 2022 Message
“BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF
HOPE, LOVE, JOY & PEACE"
What an exciting time of the year it is for me, the season of Advent. In which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve / Day. I have to admit there was a time in my life when Christmas was not important to me. Oh yeah, it was important to me as child and youth, but then the family drama began and that was the end to my Christmas spirit for a long time. It was not until I became to understand the true meaning of Christmas as I began my relationship with Jesus Christ, my love for the Advent grew and flourish of being in the presence of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace as the lighting of the candle(s) on each Advent Sunday, which this year begins on Sunday, November 27th with the 1st Sunday of Advent in which we light a purple candle that represent “Hope.”
In the following Sundays, 2nd Sunday of Advent we will light two purple candles, which represents “Hope” and “Love”. On the 3rd Sunday of Advent we will light three candles; two purple and one rose, which represents “Hope”, “Love” and “Joy.” On the 4th Sunday of Advent we light four candles three purple and one rose, which represent: “Hope”, “Love”, “Joy” and “Peace.” Finally on our traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve service we will light all four candles, plus Christ candles and we will do all over again on Christmas Day, since it falls on Sunday.
Christmas Eve & Day has become a special day for me and continues to this day and I give all the credit to my amazing beautiful wife, Claudia who has such tremendous “spirit” of Christmas that she just lights up and has brought such joy to me and our family that even that they are getting older they still enjoy the time of Christmas in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the gifts, and spending time with families and friends.
We pray that all that are reading this short letter have a safe and wonderful Christmas and remember you are not alone in the always presence of Jesus Christ.
From the Peña family (Pastor Julio, Claudia, Jessica, Israel, and Emilio) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
God Bless.
Pastor Julio Peña