While, gratefully many of us are now able to get to Mass, even if masks are still required as they are in Los Angeles, we look forward to the opportunity this year to celebrate together the birth of our savior, king, brother, Jesus.
What does His humble birth mean to us all this year?
For some who have been impacted by COVID and other losses, it will be bittersweet. Those not here to open a gift, make a traditional meal, or treat will be missed and that empty place that their passing leaves can be challenging to deal with. Yet, Jesus’ coming at Christmas cannot be reflected upon without considering His life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection. Our hope and faith fill us with the belief that we will be reunited with those who have gone before us. Let us respond by reaching out to our sisters and brothers dealing with grief with loving support.
For many who struggle to put enough food on the table, provide needed healthcare for themselves or their family, both here at home and around the world, prayer alone will not meet their needs. Let us respond by making our own sacrifices, finding ways to strive to meet the material needs of those who would otherwise do without.
For those who despair or lose hope, let us pray and strive for the support needed, even if it only points the way to resources we are able to identify.
Jesus’ humble birth is a call to action.
How will we celebrate? How will we serve? How can we live a life worthy of a God who loves us so much that His only son not only came into the world but not as a King, as a poor and vulnerable child born to a humble woman, far from home, in the most simple of places?
I invite you to join me in reflecting on what kind of life Jesus’ birth, this Christmas, is calling us to live.
All of us at Mission Doctors wish you all a Blessed Christmas.
Elise Frederick
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