Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the sadness and grief in life. There are days when all seems lost. Hopelessness clouds out any conceivable joy. Friends die. Jobs are lost. Misery prevails. Prayers go seemingly unanswered.

And I am not alone. Millions will go to bed hungry tonight. Millions more will have no place to lay their head. Others will be at war or surrounded by violence. Still others are imprisoned by drug addiction, domestic abuse, neglect or alcoholism.

And still Christmas comes.

While we welcome Baby Jesus with triumphant hymns and celebrations, somewhere a mother is mourning the loss of her own child. Disease, poverty, racism and injustice ravage our society.

And still Christmas comes.

God became man. But first he was a baby. Jesus was born a helpless infant. He was nurtured by his mother and grew into adulthood. He was truly human and walked among us. Jesus knew sorrow; felt hunger; endured pain. But He also knew love; experienced joy; found beauty in our world.

And so Christmas comes.

As I watched my grandchildren bubbling over with excitement in anticipation of Santa and shared laughter, love and good times with my family last night, I realized that we should rightly sing “Alleluia”. In the midst of our sadness and joy; feast and famine; desolation and beauty, we find our God walking with us. The sentimental image of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes is heartwarming but the reality of Jesus sharing our joy and carrying our burdens is what sustains me.

I hope you that you will find yourself embraced by Christ’s peace and love this Christmas and each day forward.

Denis

 “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.”       Luke 2:10-14