Many people found it hard to get into the “Christmas” spirit this year. With the senseless killing of young lives in Newtown, devastating wars in Syria and Congo, political impasse in Congress, and an economy that is still limping along, it was difficult to get excited about the holidays. Who was really in the mood for cookies and carols when surrounded by anger and illness?

Many folks have wondered where God was in all of this mess. From political talking heads to newspaper columnists, people were wondering why these things were happening. God was, in fact, already here among us, comforting the poor and broken and dying. God came into this world as a poor and helpless baby to be with us and dwell among us. Rachel Held Evans reminds us of this in her recent blog:

If the incarnation teaches us anything, it’s that God can be found everywhere: in a cattle trough, on a throne, among the poor, with the sick, on a donkey, in a fishing boat, with the junkie, with the prostitute, with the hypocrite, with the forgotten, in places of power, in places of oppression, in poverty, in wealth, where God’s name is known, where it is unknown, with our friends, with our enemies, in our convictions, in our doubts, in life, in death, at the table, on the cross, and in every kindergarten classroom from Sandy Hook to Shanghai. God cannot be kept out. (http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/god-kept-out)

Christmas is a reminder to us of God’s presence in our lives. We don’t need some artificial “spirit” of the holidays. We need only look to the cross to find God at Christmas and during every day of the year.

Contributed by Jennifer
Monday December 31, 2012
Liturgical Year C: Week 5
Liturgical Color: White
Sunday Gospel reading:
First Sunday of Christmas