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This is a synopsis of the message preached at the 7:30 pm Christmas Eve Service.  For the full sermon, watch the worship on the Holy Trinity Cathedral Facebook page. 

 I wonder how many of us think of Christmas as a time to review our lives. We usually leave that sort of thing until New Year’s Eve, don’t we? To me, Christmas is a season of grace in which we are called to reflect upon God’s generous, self-giving love for humanity and our own life. So today, on this Christmas Eve 2025, I would like us to do just that: to rethink our way of life while reflecting on what today’s readings highlight. 

In today’s second reading, Paul speaks about hope, salvation, and the love of God for all human beings. Paul reminds us today that we are to be dignified in the way we behave, and to demonstrate maturity in our faith, in the way we show love and in the way we persevere, as we all await the fulfillment of our Christian hope. In today’s second reading, Isaiah’s vision happened because of his faithfulness. God showed him the revelation of the future and of the Messiah who was to be born. That same Messiah, of whom Luke speaks in today’s gospel, would conquer death and become the great light of hope that would shine on all of humanity. Hearing this on Christmas Eve, and just a few days before the beginning of 2026, is good news to all of us.

So tonight, let’s take a moment to count our blessings and the opportunities that are ours to make our lives more noble, beautiful, merry, and bright.