Day 17 of Having a "Mary" Christmas in a Martha World
Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 138:8; Romans 8:6-17; Ephesians 2:4-6; Zechariah 9:9
So as we close in towards Christmas day, I know that I often have, lost sight of the Christmas season being about Jesus. I am so caught up in gift buying, cookie making, and house decorating that when I am setting up my Nativity I lose sight that this nativity is supposed to remind me of the true reason for Christmas. Every single time we say "Merry Christmas" we are stating right there what this holiday is about… Christ.
We have gotten so lost in the hustle and bustle of decorating the tree, cleaning the house, wrapping all the gifts, making sure we have time to sit by the fire, getting a holiday drink, and buying outfits for the kids. While each of these things are good, and there isn't a single thing wrong with all of the hustle and bustle and chores, we need to make sure that we aren't just making this Christmas season about us but are making this season about Christ. When we set up our nativity we revisit the true reason Christ came to Earth - so we could have life with Him in heaven.
In our families, we need to make sure that the Christmas season is truly focused on Christ and not us. We all get lost in the to-do’s that the Christmas season is no longer about Jesus but about how much we can make it work, how much we can give our kids. Who got the better gift & who threw the best party. We have become so Santa-logged; so weighed down by Santa that we have lost sight of Christ. When I lived in California, we would go to the Christmas Eve Children’s mass. It was my absolute favorite mass. It truly lived out the innocence and excitement of a child. The mass was beautiful; the children’s choir sang for this mass and the little spunky voices rang through the church, Father got to the homily and called all of the children up to the Sanctuary and discussed with them the true meaning of Christmas. Lastly, when mass was finished, Santa came, but of course Santa did not come empty handed. He brought the one most important gift that we all receive each and every Christmas. He brought Jesus, placed Him in the manger in the Church, knelt down and prayed, got up, and told all the children how Jesus was the real meaning of Christmas and we need not forget that.
So as we close in towards Christmas, have you sat back and focused on the real meaning? Or are you still too caught up in cleaning the house, baking the cookies and wrapping the gifts. Don’t you see the best gift of Christmas doesn’t need to be wrapped, He is just waiting for you, because you are enough for Him, just as you are.
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