Christmas (Dawn)
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Written by Fr. Brendan Seery
Christmas is often a time that we spend with our loved ones – our family, our friends, those whom we care about the most! It is also a time that, amidst the joy of being with those who mean the most to us, we are able to remember the incredible gift of Jesus Christ – a gift that would transform and continues to transform the history of the entire world. No king, no politician, no celebrity has ever impacted the world in such a way as the child born in the manger at Bethlehem over 2000 years ago!
In giving the gift of His Son, God our Heavenly Father reminds us of the incredible love that He has for us. A love that doesn’t depend on anything we do or are, but is rather a gift that simply expresses the unchanging, and at time unfathomable, love He has for every single one of us. This is truly a day when the light of hope radiates from the throne room of Heaven, for the Lord is born for us!
Today, let us we give thanks for this gift! Let us give thanks for that light that continues to banish the darkness of death and sin from our lives. Let us give thanks for the Lord who was born to set us free. But how can we live out this gift? How can we share this gift with a world that is often at odds with the saving message of Jesus?
Mother Teresa once said that each of us is not called to do extraordinary things, but rather to do ordinary things with extraordinary love. Today, let us pledge to do ordinary things – a smile to a passing stranger, a helping hand for a neighbor, spending time to talk with the homeless, giving from our abundance to those with less - with extraordinary love! Simple acts like these have the power to continue to transform the world and remind all that God is truly Emmanuel – truly with us through the love we continue to share with others!
Fr. Brendan Seery has been a Priest of the incredible Diocese of Northampton in the United Kingdom for almost 6 years now. He currently ministers in the stunningness that is Milton Keynes, which is famous mostly for roundabouts and concrete cows! He’s a serial tea drinker and Cheesecake eater who can't wait for them both to be calorie free. Two of his biggest influences have been Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict and, like them, Fr. Brendan wants to journey with as many people as possible to help them recognize their call to sainthood! Follow Fr. Brendan on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.