Reflection
Christ shines into the world through us when we carry his spirit within. When we live his vision of love and harmony, when we are moved with compassion for those who suffer, when we lend our efforts to building relationships of justice and peace, when we try to heal divisions and acrimony, then w enflesh his words and allow this world to know Emmanuel…God with us.
Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, grant that our lives may be faithful to the promise of Christmas. May we build peace and unity rather than anger and separation into our contacts with others.
Action
What changes must I make in my thinking and living to follow the gospel message more closely?
Suggested Reading
He opened the book and found the place where
these words are written-
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because God anointed me to preach good tidings
to the poor:
God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those that are bruised,
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4:18
Let us ask for the grace of wonder in the face of this mystery, this reality so tender, so beautiful, so close to our hearts, may the Lord give us the grace of wonder, to meet Him, to draw close to Him, to draw close to all of us.
Pope Francis
It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one’s fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit.
Isabel Currier.
My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?
Bob Hope
The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.
W. C. Jones
This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.
Frank McKibben
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.
Eric Sevareid
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
Roy L. Smith