“Rather than thinking in terms of putting Christ into our Christmas, think in terms of putting ourselves, our Christmas, into Christ.  Jesus Christ is at the center of the universe, and we need to find ourselves in our relation to Him, not the other way around.”

-Mother Raphaela, Growing in Christ, pg 35. 

Reflection: 

Non-stop holiday parties, hectic shopping, Christmas cookies and twinkling lights - while Christmases past were full of merriment and fun, how often were our holidays centered on Christ? Mother Raphaela challenges us to reframe our Christmas season, to make Christ the focus, the starting point of all that we do especially during our Christmas celebrations.  Currently we find ourselves with the rare opportunity to refocus, since festivities as they used to be are not possible this year. 

This year, we have the opportunity to put ourselves and our Christmas into Christ with all the time we have to spend with our family, to reflect, pray, attend Church services, give to the poor, and check in on the isolated. 

Our Christmas celebrations will honor all the ways in which Christ gives us life, gives us everything we have, and brings us together.  We celebrate the love of our Heavenly Father, our Salvation. We decorate in order to welcome God into our homes on Christmas day. 

In years past we made ourselves too busy to put our Christmas into Who Christ is.  Now that we have the time, let us not miss this opportunity to fully refocus ourselves and reshape our celebrations on Christ.