Praise be Jesus Christ! Praise be His most holy name. Praise Him now and always. Praise Him for all He is, was, and is to come. Praise Him who is Lord of Lord, King of Kings, Mighty, Counselor, Bread of Life.
Thank You God for all thy benefits. Thank You for the rain, for the sunshine, for the wind. Thank You for all that You allow us to have and to use: shelter, income, vehicles, computers, internet, phones, pets, family, friends, neighbors. Thank You for the seasons of our liturgical year. Thank You for priests and holy friendships. Thank You for the Body of Christ.
How sorry I am, Lord, for any sorrow I have caused especially through my selfishness, self-centeredness, forgetfulness, stubbornness, and weakness. I am sorry for the times I have not responded well to hardships. I am sorry for the times I have failed to delight in others, especially Your children, my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am sorry, Lord.
Yall will have to excuse me today as I descend from the height of a wonderfully full Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! One day spent in preparation and service, and the next filled with a growing family. As I sat to review my day, I realized I had not taken a single picture nor had I picked up my phone for much.
It was a day of being present! It was a day to experience the fruit of hubby and I’s time, effort, and prayers. I saw my children enjoy each other’s company, and even exchange gifts among each other. I saw one child react to the love of a young married couple. I saw an expecting mother enjoy a bowl of gumbo while feeding her toddler. I saw my son tend to the needs of his family the way his dad has for many years. We attended Mass; we played games; we ate and practiced some archery. We lounged and relaxed, and then when the day was drawing to a close, we all did our part to get the house back in order and even share some gumbo with neighbors.
There was nothing fancy or extraordinarily exciting by the world’s standard. There were no elaborate gifts, no fine china, no tablescapes – just a family gathered in one place at the same time. By heaven’s standard, it was a glorious day! I truly believe that God was honored and glorified this Christmas Day in our home by our family just being our family in the same way that a bird praised God by doing what a bird does, or how a dog glorifies God by being a dog. Is it not overwhelmingly inspiring and jaw-dropping how simple it is to glorify God! Just be and do what God created you to be and do!
I pray I can carry this simple, full, and holy Christmas with me throughout the season and beyond. I pray in thanksgiving for the grace to notice and appreciate all that transpired as the family was just a family being and doing what God created it to be and do! I pray that we all have the grace to notice and appreciate and then share all that God is doing in our lives. May your Christmas season be simple, full, and holy!
Photo by Dan Kiefer on Unsplash
