Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

Oh come, let us adore him!

I woke early this morning and headed downstairs to a quiet spot in the living room next to our Christmas tree. With the rest of the house silent as my sons and husband slumbered, my prayer time was filled with emotion.

The great joy I feel this Christmas is tempered with touches of burden, prayer requests from so many of you who carry challenges this Christmas season --

...the young mother who discovered another tumor last night but wants to wait to share the news with her family until after Christmas...

...the family who will bury a son, lost to suicide...

...the families I met in Rwanda earlier this year, who struggle to put food on their tables...

...the news of a homeless person in my own community who lost his life this week as he slept out of doors and in the elements...

Amidst our celebrations and gifts, we pause tonight to remember those who suffer, who are lonely, afraid or in need. We carry their burdens along with our gifts, and lay them at the feet of the Christ Child.

But we also look around ourselves and ask how we can be a source of love and healing and change. Sometimes the needs feel so great, and yet we know that when we give our lives to God assuring him that we are here to do his will, all things are possible.

If I have one goal for our work here at CatholicMom.com, it would be that this place be a venue to proclaim the Good News we hear at Christmas, the great joy of a savior come to bring us peace. I thank each and every one of our writers, the heart and soul of this website, and our readers who so faithfully support this little spot on the web. Together, we have the capacity to change the world around us, to let his light shine to the dark and painful spaces, so greatly in need of God's love.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

I pray that your Christmas will be filled with joy and love!
Glory to God in the highest!

Lisa

p.s. Our site will be quiet for the next several days as we take time with family and friends. We'll be back on January 1st with fresh content and many exciting plans for 2014.