The Spirit of Christmas

There is so much busyness, running around, buying of gifts and parties that we can forget the “Spirit of Christmas.”  -so many voices saying that Christmas is about the gifts and parties.

Christmas is a time of love and family.  It is a time when we remember that the greatest gifts of all are love, family, and friends.

During these difficult economic times when so many people are struggling to put food on the table, keep warm in the cold,  and stay in their homes, the season is an opportunity to remember the reason for the season.  Christmas is about love and rejoicing.  Sadness should have no place on this holiday.  All of heaven is rejoicing- as the song says “Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King”

 The Spirit of Christmas is about love, that all life is sacred and loved by God. Even if we are poor, rich, educated, uneducated, sick, healthy, born or unborn all life is sacred by virtue of the fact that God became a baby, born in a stable unknown to the world at that time.

The Christ Child is a reminder that all life has value.  The Spirit of Christmas is that all life is touched by God- that family life is holy and that love is the greatest gift we can give one another.

 Maybe this Christmas we can give the greatest gift to the people in our life- the gift of love, telling the people in our life “I love you- you are such a gift to me.”

 Your friend

Fr Stefan Starzynski

Father Stefan Starzynski is Parochial Vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows in Fairfax, VA and the Author of the upcoming book Miracles Healing in a Broken World.  Father Stefan also serves as Spiritual Advisor to the Paul Stefan Homes for Expectant Mothers.  www.paulstefanhome.org