Christmas is not cancelled.❤️

‘My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water’. (Jer 2:13)

No need to save Christmas, it is not in any danger, never was, in fact it is the most secure event in our world at this time. On the first Christmas night, Baby Jesus was born in a freezing stable in Bethlehem, no room in the Inn, doors shut tight to the Holy Family. God, Lord of the Universe, became man and lived amongst us for the sole purpose of setting us free, wonderful for us but for Him what condescension. 

For many years, we have ignored the reason for the season, Christmas became known as ‘The Holiday season’. Jesus hardly ever invited to His own Birthday party. Our God is a God of order, He does not let dis-order continue, sooner or later all things will be in accordance with His Holy Will. 

Jesus was born into poverty and He seeks to find a place in all our hearts. Will He find us ready and waiting.........

Many are wondering aloud what Christmas 2020 will look like, one lady told me that for her, Christmas is cancelled this year. No problem, things are not going our way so we will call the whole thing off. Only there is a problem - it is not up to us, it never was. Who could blame us for thinking we were running the show, it seemed that way for the longest time and in our wildest dreams we did not see this pandemic on the horizon.

We have choices of course, we can stomp our feet, kick our heels in defiance, sulk until we get our own way, or we can try God’s way for a change. We just might be pleasantly surprised, first pared-back pandemic Christmas may well be our best ever!

Jesus invited into our hearts and homes, maybe this year there will be room for Him in the Inn.

Yes we are in the midst of terrible uncertainty but for me it is hugely comforting to know that God is running the show, I do not have to. No control now, no responsibility, one foot in front of the other as I follow Jesus. ‘All the way to Heaven is Heaven because Jesus said, “I am the Way”. (St.Catherine of Siena)

Christmas is not cancelled. Jesus will be born anew in our hearts and souls if we but shift our gaze, accept and trust. While all else is crumbling around us, Christmas stands firm, bringing us healing and much needed peace. 

Life and every daily action comes from a heart that has been healed and renewed, Mother Elvira (Cenacolo Community) tells us - ‘The drug addicts tell us this! Encountering Jesus, their lives have become a celebration and they reveal it to us by their transformed lives, through their singing, dancing, suffering, crying and working. Love gives you life and with life you have everything’.

‘There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the ass understood more of the First Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem, and it is the same today’. (Thomas Merton)