And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14)
Today is an exquisitely wondrous day. Today is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
God, who always is, always was, and always shall be became an intimate part of our human history the moment that He took on flesh and blood.
No longer was He “out there”. Instead, He entrusted Himself to the loving care of Mary and Joseph.
This day is very special and we treat it appropriately so. We have decked out our homes and our church. We have put on finer clothes than we usually wear. We are planning on gathering together with family and friends to share the joy that we celebrate here today.
Oh, that the spirit of Christmas would last throughout the year. Oh, that each and every day would be a day of loving, a day of caring, a day of sharing. After all, that is what the life of Jesus was all about. He did not say that he would love only on Sundays or heal only on Thursdays. He did not say that He would forgive only on Wednesdays.
He loved and healed and forgave all days and at all times. He reached out to the poor and needy and proved to them that God’s love was real and that it was available to all.
This Christmas, let us not only celebrate the birth of Christ but also live as He has challenged us to live: giving of ourselves freely to those in need, proclaiming the Good News to all we encounter, and caring for all.
I would be remiss if I did not say that “caring for all” includes ourselves. Sometimes the hardest person to love is our own self. God loves us incredibly. He became one of us to prove that love. Celebrate that this day! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
FAITH ACTION: Make sure that you take the opportunity to tell your loved ones how special they are to you. For the loved ones who have passed away, remember them lovingly in your thoughts and prayers.