The Christmas season. Whatever your view of it—whether you anticipate it with great delight, or perhaps with some sense of dread, or with a combination of these (as many people do)—you may be searching for a way to make this season's activity more truly satisfying for yourself and others. You may be yearning, as I do, to truly feel the tender, healing touch of the Christ, God's saving message, right in the midst of this commemoration of Christ Jesus' birth.
Recently, in thinking about this, I asked myself, "What can I include in my Christmas preparations that will facilitate that happy result of feeling the touch of the Christ during the Christmas season, on Christmas Day, and beyond?" The answer wasn't surprising: give yourself ample time for quiet prayer, time to think deeply about the true meaning of Christmas and about how to honor it in your own life.
Quiet time for prayer is important. The busy holiday season won't give us this time. Anxieties won't give it to us. We must give it to ourselves, or rather accept it as a gift from God, and make good use of it. We need to set aside specific time for prayer, and then pray.
