As I think back to this video that I share every year, I have great faith in my dream of Christmas Every Sunday. Each year, we hear the same Christmas story… and that story brings us to Mass.
This year, I thought: could I look at this story from a new perspective? What if I placed myself in the shoes of the characters? How would I react if this story unfolded in today’s world, and I was a main character? Would my faith stand strong?
How would I react if my daughter came to me and said an angel told her she would give birth to Our Savior?
Would I stop everything and follow a star to bring gifts to Jesus if I spotted it shining bright in the sky leaving the office one night after a long day of work?
Would I have raised Jesus as my own child based on the message of an angel I never saw? Would I have been able to tie his shoes, teach him to ride a bike, and help him with his schoolwork with full trust that I was his earthly father?
Could I be a proclaimer of the Good News, like the Angel Gabriel, even in a secular society? Could I share the story of Jesus’ birth with my community, my friends, my family, even when it’s hard?
Would I drop all the responsibilities of my everyday life – work, doctors’ appointments, grandkids’ sports – like the shepherds did when they heard a Messiah was born?
I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I know that I have faith. I have faith in this story. I have faith that God would lead me in the right direction.
I also have great faith that Catholic Leadership Institute is doing the work to reach more people with this story, to spread the faith to more people in our parishes and our communities. I have faith in the lay leaders we serve. I have faith in the parishes we accompany, and I have faith in our wonderful clergy.
Lastly, I have faith in all of you. I am grateful for your generosity to Catholic Leadership Institute, your love for our Church, and your deep faith in our Christmas story and the baby that was born that night and changed our world forever.
I wish you joy, health, and blessings this Christmas and throughout 2025. Keep the faith… and share it!
Our CEO Daniel Cellucci's weekly email, the DIAL: Discerning Insights About Leadership.
CLI serves Church leaders, helping them rediscover their potential and forming them to be more intentional with those they serve.
CLI helps empower and energize Catholic leaders by providing focus and courage to engage the culture with an apostolic mindset.
