The Nativity of the Lord, Vigil Mass. The whole world celebrates the birth of Jesus, but why is his birthday so important? God loves us and wants to care for us. Our first parents sinned and we all became afraid and ran away from God. How could God bring us his love without us being scared away? He became one of us. The shepherd became a sheep. He saved the sheep from the big bad wolf. This is the joy of Christmas.

How can we experience Christmas for ourselves? Jesus is God, so small and innocent you can hold Him in your hands. They placed Him in a feeding trough in the city of Beth-lehem ("House-of-bread"). We experience the miracle of Christmas at every Mass. God at Mass becomes so small and innocent that you can hold Him in your hands - food for the sheep, bread for the world. When we give "Glory to God in the Highest" we experience "joy to the world" and "peace on earth." Once you put God at the center of your life, everything else falls into place. That's a birth worth celebrating!

(25 Dec 2014)

Point to Ponder: When have I experienced God's love at church?

Point to Discuss: How can our family life and work glorify God more?