The Christ Child is present in those around us

    I remember when I was a child that I thought waiting for Christmas was the longest month in my life. It never seemed that the weeks went by fast enough! Now, it’s a different story, as the weeks fly by with ever-present reminders of the holiday season that is close upon us.
    In these final days before Christmas, it seems that the materialism of the holiday is in full force. I, like the rest of us, find it hard to avoid the excitement of giving and receiving gifts. However, I think it’s important that we also keep in mind the purpose of Christmas: a joyous celebration of peace, hope and love.
    This year, as my husband and I began wrapping presents for each other and family members, we found ourselves at Mass hearing about the adopt-a-family that our church would be sponsoring. After Mass, we made our way home, pondering whether we could afford to help the family.
    At the next Mass, we made our way over to the tree and picked an ornament with a present listed on it. I was a little surprised to find that many of the ornaments were still hanging on the tree, with very few presents underneath.
    As we went shopping for a toy for a 5-year-old girl, I was reminded that Christmas joy is not about happiness. Certainly, the girl that we “adopted” will experience happiness at receiving an unexpected present, but the joy that we experience is a sense of contentment, as we know that we are not alone and that God makes himself visible and active in the world. We see these visible signs of God’s presence in the very spirit of giving, whether it be in the form of Christmas presents or even donations to the Salvation Army or Toys for Tots. As we give of ourselves, we allow God’s presence to be visible in the world, and we experience the joy of Christmas.
    Christmas also promises peace and love as we recall Jesus’ coming into the world in the form of an infant. Many were expecting a militant savior, but Jesus came as a child, bringing with him a sacrificial love that risked death for our sake. Moreover, he lived a life of peace, teaching us how to live a life of nonviolence, love, prayer and service.
    As we recall Jesus’ coming into the world, we must be reminded of the life that he lived and modeled for us as we prepare ourselves for his second coming. As we give and receive, we should remember not only our loved ones, but also the people who surround us who have no family or place to go during the holiday season. Jesus’ life was lived among the poor and the forsaken; Christmas calls us to open our hearts, just as Jesus did, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
    Finally, Christmas promises hope. In a world of chaos, distress and inhumanity, where we hear of depressing news every day and of lives and countries torn apart by evil, Christmas offers us hope. As we await Jesus’ arrival during Advent, we recall the hopeful coming of an infant. Waiting for any child to be born is a time of hope in a family. As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded that the world is waiting for Jesus’ coming and that Jesus’ birth is hope for the entire world. With his coming, we are reminded that change is coming and that there is hope for a bright future.
    This Christmas, as we give  to and receive presents from our loved ones, let us also keep in mind that in the mystery of Christmas, God becomes incarnate in a human birth. As we celebrate Christmas, let us look for God’s face in the faces of those around us and in the people we meet, for then we will truly be able to see the joy, peace, love and hope that God promises us throughout the year.
    Heather Bozant Witcher can be reached at [email protected].