When I was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2009, my sister contacted many people to ask them to pray for me. One of the people she contacted was a sister of Notre Dame de Namur who had been her teacher in high school, and with whom she had been in contact for some time. This sister subsequently started to send me notes of inspiration and encouragement on postcards made from the photographs she had taken. Her insights are and have been inspiring. She sends the notes to me still--this is her particular ministry. I love her for it.
The other day, I received a letter in the mail. The contents of this letter follow. It had me thinking about Christmas in a different way.
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How simple a message we celebrate every December. A new baby has arrived.
The longer we live, the clearer it is why God has come to be among us as one of us, right from the start. How magical it is to see a newborn child who had been hidden for months, developing from something as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Growing by the grace of creation once again.
Someone who kept on unfolding the mysteries of how to make a heart, create a pair of lungs, grow fingers and toes, learn how to move when less than a handful, and startle a mother into an awakening of having a baby inside.
All around the world, babies renew the hope we have that somehow we will be worthy of them. we want to change what is brutal and unworthy of us. We do want to know a silent night, when all is calm, all is bright, even just for a few hours.
Christmas is a lovely chance to listen to the sacred story of life unfolding as the creator intended. We come into existence as mysteries, arrive amid tears, and leave parents utterly speechless at how perfect a gift we are.
In Bethlehem, Mary was all smiles when she swaddled her son and covered him with kisses. Joseph could not describe what happened to him when his baby's wee fingers grasped one of his, and held on for dear life...dear, dear life.
Of course, the angels sang and the shepherds heard them. Cows quieted, sheep cuddled nearby, one donkey slept soundly, hens gave the gift of eggs, the dog just looked lovingly at the manger and let the cat rub against her. The was a rumor of camels coming. Nobody could believe that a baby had arrived, so they came to see for themselves. What eyelashes! What a tiny nose! Amazing!
We get a chance to see the whole thing happen again and again every time we are in the presence of a baby. We get to know once again what God wants from us...to be worthy of the children. To make sure that all we can do and be for them is what matters most. To remember that everyone we meet is someone's child and in need of our caring about them and letting them care for us. If we get to hold the baby, we have a hint of how God is holding us all the time. No wonder we want to give everyone a present!
Blessed Christmas 2010!
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