Christmas Reflection

The following is a reflection offered at Christmas morning Mass at St. Jude Church in Lower Subukia, Kenya.

Today we celebrate! We celebrate the very special gift that God give us, His only son. All that we have is gift. God has given us good things like the air we breathed this morning as we woke or the warmth of the sun on our faces, or the food we will eat today. All of these are gifts from God and they are good. Yes we suffer. Life is hard and sometimes life gets harder and not easier only harder. Is suffering from God? No. God suffers when we suffer. I suffer because I do not trust God.

This Christmas – once again – we are reminded that God gave us his only son, Jesus. God became flesh and lived as one of us. Because of Jesus, God knows our suffering and pain Jesus knew suffering and pain AND joy and happiness. God knows it all and is waiting. Waiting for us to turn to him for help. God is ever ready to turn our sorrows to joy and pain into happiness. But we have to ask.

This is a season of gift giving. Some are big gifts and some maybe small. Some may not get any gifts at all this Christmas. God is always ready to give of himself – this day and every day. His love is abundant and his mercy sweet. His over-flowing love continues when we love in return. God needs our love. We love in return by giving God thanks and by loving all those we see everyday – even those who do not love us. God's gift of love is multiplied by loving in return by being generous, forgiving, helpful, and thoughtful of others. Today is a celebration of God's love. Let us love one another. Amen

Here is a picture of me with a parishioner St Jude church. Her name is Elizabeth.

Christmas Blessing to all who read this.  OED  tim