The Gift of Christmas

This is the last Sunday of Advent. This prepatory season has flashed by, quicker even than it normally does. I think the biggest and most obvious reason for this is the birth of Katie. It is hard to sit back and just accept that this Advent, normal is not normal. That there are things that just won't happen this year. And.that's.okay. It is. Really. Breath in, breath out. It's okay.

This is the season of our lives and we just need to enjoy this beautiful gift that God has blessed us with, so close to His own birth. And she is a gift. It is this graciousness, mercy and generosity of our Lord that I meditate on. Here is this amazing little person, who smiles at us with great simple joy. How can I not be grateful? I don't know when God will decide that's it - no more little souls will come our way. But for now He has sent us one more precious child and I am so happy to delight in her and in our God's love for all of us.

These thoughts lead me to think and ponder the birth of Jesus. The hardships, the joys and hopes that sprung from one small human, who was divine, but who knew? There was so much faith required by everyone, including Herod. Herod who heard and believed in the majesty of the small boy, but he denied and misunderstood that lordship. He believed enough to kill who knows how many little boys to protect his earthly throne. Mary and Joseph who were told by an Angel and they believed. It would have been so much simpler to pretend those visitations didn't happen. But they believed. The magi who by faith of their sciences travelled so far to worship a small boy, who was obviously poor. Today's scientists would probably scoff. This can't be right. But their faith was pure. And the saints who followed them imitate that faith. It is a long line of faith, that we are called to imitate. This is our heritage.