Illustration from Masahiro Kasuya’s children’s book “The Way Christmas Came”

Advent is a season  set aside to remember Christ’s coming among us and  choosing to be present in our world.

In Advent, we pause again to hear the prophesy of God’s tender Compassion.

“Because of the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”Luke 1:78-79

Whatever the year has brought, in the way of hardship, sorrow, hurts and pain, the miracle of Christmas arrives. The Christ of Christmas  stirs hope in our souls, banishes doubt, lifts our spirits and reminds us again of God’s everlasting love.

Ann Weems speaks of that hope, in her poem Christmas Comes.

Christmas comes every time we see God in other persons.
The human and the holy meet in Bethlehem
or in Times Square,
for Christmas comes like a golden storm on its way
to Jerusalem —
determinedly, inevitably . . .

Even now it comes
in the face of hatred and warring —
no atrocity too terrible to stop it,
no Herod strong enough,
no hurt deep enough,
no curse shocking enough,
no disaster shattering enough.

For someone on earth will see the star,
someone will hear the angel voices,
someone will run to Bethlehem,
someone will know peace and goodwill:
the Christ will be born!

— Ann Weems, Kneeling in Bethlehem

Prayer: Loving God,  In this Advent time, may we journey with you  towards Bethlehem, may we be among those who see the star, hear the angels sing, and discover all over again, the Christ at the center of Christmas.  Amen.

Additional resources for Advent through Christmastide, including a daily Advent calendar can be found here: Devotions for Advent to Epiphany