Past the “need-to’s” to the stable, to the crib, to our hearts

Oh this is the time of year we enter into our own chaos! I have to get the tree up. I need a gift for my brother. I need to bake Christmas cookies. I need to wrap the gifts. I need to get a new outfit to wear for Christmas Mass. I need to, I need to, I need to!

What am I going to serve for Christmas dinner? What time should we eat on Christmas day? When are we going to open our gifts? What time should we have Santa come for the kids, grandkids?

The needs and the wants continue to fill our lives.

So much worry and fretting about what we need to do. And yet it is important to our families. It is important that Santa Claus comes to our homes to drop off the gifts for the children and grandchildren. It is important to celebrate with families and friends.

But, really, what are we missing?

The true meaning of Christmas is the birth of the Christ child. Jesus being born in a simple stable can get lost in all of the “need to’s”.

Preparing

As I grow older, I tend to focus more on the simplicity of this season of Advent. Preparing our hearts, preparing our souls to be peaceful and present to the real Christmas season.

The churches are decorated; the stable and the baby in the crib are waiting for us to come and pay honor and gratitude to this wonderful birth of Jesus Christ.

We don’t need to do anything but take time to open our hearts and take a walk to the stable. With so many distractions in our lives we often just keep running. Perhaps this year, we can simply take time out and walk up to the stable in our churches or in our homes and simply gaze and reflect on just how sacred and real this moment is for us and for our world so full of unrest.

Emotions run high when we lack peace within ourselves. No one can put peace within you — only you can do it. If we cannot “control” the world around us, then let us open our hearts and souls and thank our Provident God for the gift of this wonderful moment — the birth of Jesus Christ.

Still relevant

Jesus walked the world as a human being to show us life is good but not always easy. Jesus truly modeled happiness, taught us to believe when there are times of doubt and showed us how to pray when prayer is not always easy.

Yes, our life is a journey, with many great possibilities of happiness and peace! The stable and crib today challenge us to remember that no matter what chaos surrounds us, this simple beginning is still relevant within our lives if we choose to believe.

I wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and may this New Year of 2017 bless each of you and your families with peace and good health.

Merry Christmas!