2011 Christmas Message from Bishop Colli

'Today A Light Will Shine Upon Us'

Each day when I listen to the news and read my newspaper, I am overwhelmed by the events of unrest and chaos that seem to plague our world.  Protesters, government upheavals, rebellions, and political unrest seem to dominate the airwaves.  One might ask what is happening to our world?  Is there no peace and calm anywhere?  Will this turmoil ever cease?


These questions are thought provoking and important especially today.  We seek some peace and comfort in our lives and yet we are surrounded by turmoil and noise.  This applies not just to the world around us, but also at times to our personal lives.  Where will we find this peace?

In the message of Christmas and in the weeks as we prepare to celebrate this important feast, we ask the Lord to instill within us, some sense of peace and calm, in the midst of all the turmoil and busyness that mark this time of year.  Today a light will shine upon us, says the prophet Isaiah.  A light that is unlike the light of this world.  This light comes from above and it is the light of God in Jesus Christ His Son.  This light will not only bring some peace within our hearts but it will also help us to see the way for our daily living.  Our openness to this light, is a sign of our willingness to see this season and this feast in its true light.  This is not just a holiday or a time for gift giving and fancy meals or decorations.  It is a time for us to examine our hearts and to discover if we have allowed the light of God to touch us and to guide us in our everyday living.

If our heart is open to this light and peace, then our relationships will change.  There will be a greater sense of love and respect for one another.  There will exist a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude for the abundance that we have.  There will be a true sense of compassion and concern for others manifest in our outreach to help, especially those who are less fortunate in our society.  There will exist within us a sense of reconciliation and forgiveness, to reestablish bonds and relationships, esepcially in our families, that have been severed through anger, argument or jealousy.

This light from above can change our life and give us a deeper appreciation for the gift of life itself which we enjoy.  So in the midst of the turmoil, upset and impatience, let us allow this light to shine on us.  We need not wait until Christmas for this to happen, since the light and grace of Jesus Christ is available to us now.  A simple prayer seeking this light and an openness of heart to allow God's light to enter us will be sufficient.

May these days that lead us to Christmas and may the celebration of this great feast with our families and friends be a time for us to allow the light of the Lord to shine in us and to help us bring some peace and goodness to the world around us.  A Merry and Holy Christmas to all.

Fred J. Colli
Bishop of Thunder Bay

Bishop Colli's 2011 Lenten Message

LENT 2011

“You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him.”

Pope Benedict XVI uses this phrase from St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians to give us a theme for reflection during this season of Lent. Our baptism is the door which allows us entry into the Church and gives us access to the wonders of God through the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. In Baptism we become members of Christ's body, and members of the Church and along with the benefits of this membership we also assume the responsibilities of helping to build the kingdom of God here on earth and to build up the Church of Christ through our witness to the Gospel. Through Baptism we are created anew and share in the life of God. Through this life we also become sharers in the death and resurrection of the Lord, which is expressed in a special way in our Lenten journey together.

As believers, we enter this holy season of prayer and penance and we reflect in particular on our relationship with God and with one another. The upheaval in our world, the turmoil in countries of the Middle East and even the unrest in our own nation, prompts us to turn to the Lord in our prayer, especially for a change in the hearts of world leaders, and for peace and justice to be restored in the world.

In our prayer we seek a closer union with Christ, and we beseech Him to hear us. Pope Benedict XVI notes: "In order to undertake more seriously our journey towards Easter and prepare ourselves to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord - the most joyous and solemn feast of the entire liturgical year - what could be more appropriate than allowing ourselves to be guided by the Word of God? For this reason, the Church, in the Gospel texts of the Sundays of Lent, leads us to a particularly intense encounter with the Lord, calling us to retrace the steps of our Christian initiation, in light of the new and decisive steps to be taken as we follow Christ in a fuller giving of ourselves to him."

The Word of God nourishes us at each Mass and in our daily prayer and readings. It is a means by which we come to know Christ more intimately and to know of his interaction with others and his example of mercy and forgiveness so generously given. We all seek that mercy and forgiveness during the season of Lent. In our prayer, in our fasting and in our almsgiving or outreach to the poor, may we recognize that through our Baptism we carry Christ to the world. Our actions speak of Christ to others. Our witness helps the message of the Gospel, the message of hope to encourage others.

May this season of grace be a time for inner reflection, a deeper appreciation of the gifts and goodness we share, a time for rebuilding broken relationships through mercy and forgiveness and may "this Lent renew our acceptance of the grace that God has bestowed upon us from our Baptism so that it may illuminate and guide all our actions" (Pope Benedict XVI).

Sincerely in Christ,

+ Fred Colli

Bishop of Thunder Bay