BATH, PA [DOEPA COMMUNICATIONS]

Dear to God,

Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!

I greet you all at the beginning of this Civil New Year. Time is a gift given to us by God, a sacred opportunity to grow in faith, to draw nearer to Him, and to become who He has created us to be. As it is written, “He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down” (Psalm 104:19). Each moment entrusted to us is an invitation to live with purpose, gratitude, and faithfulness.

As we begin this year, the Church also commemorates Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea, whom she honors as a “bright star” and a “revealer of heavenly mysteries.” Saint Basil reminds us of the central place Holy Scripture must hold in our lives. He teaches us, “We need not only read Sacred Scripture, but learn it as well and grow up in it. Realize that nothing is written in Scripture unnecessarily. Not to read Sacred Scripture is a great evil.” These words call us beyond casual reading to a life shaped and formed by the Word of God, which guides, corrects, and sanctifies us. I encourage each of you to make reading the Holy Scripture a regular and prayerful part of your daily life.

The year ahead will bring moments of joy and moments of trial, times of peace and times of struggle. Yet we are never alone. Our Lord, who entered the world in humility, continues to walk with us, nourishing us through His Holy Mysteries and strengthening us by His grace. He calls each of us to bear witness to His love within our families, parishes, and communities. As we step into this new year, I pray that the Lord will renew our hearts, enlighten our minds, and grant us His abiding peace.

Please remember me, your unworthy archpastor, in your prayers, as I remember you in mine. May the Lord bless and keep us throughout the coming year.

Your unworthy father in Christ,

+MARK

Archbishop of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania