MOIRAJO
  • Weekly Devotionals
  • Weekly Message
  • Sermon Podcasts
  • Links
  • Contact

Enjoying the Season of Christmas

12/26/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
LISTEN TO: the Pianoguys, "Carol of the Bells" (for 12 Cellos) 
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9GtPX6c_kg ;


So the "official" Christmas day is over.  Some are back to work.  Some of us are recovering from the nonstop action; visiting, and perhaps eating or imbibing a wee too much.  Perhaps you are gearing up for New Year's Eve.  Many are just taking it easy today, after days and even weeks of endless preparation.  For some it's a relief. Others, a let down, because Christmas didn't measure up.

It is good to step back and take in the bigger picture:  Christmas isn't just a day.  Christmas is a season that lasts until Epiphany (the feast of the Three Kings/Wisemen/Magi) on January 6. Perhaps now we can take in some more of the spiritual side of Christmas.  Between now and January 6, let's start enacting the message of Christmas. Let's lay down the Christmas lessons we can carry with us into 2018.

1. Say YES when the Holy Spirit inspires you to do something new, or to help in new and different, perhaps even unexpected ways.

2. Let us get up, go out of our way to take part in something important at our places of worship or in our communities. Try something new. Make a sacrifice of time and effort.  Let us push ourselves outside our comfort zones to serve Christ, to visit him in our community and around the world.

3.  Let us cultivate Joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23).  The nativity story is suffused with joy.  Joy is contagious -- and is perhaps one of the best ways to bring healing, hope and a witness to Jesus around us.  Joy isn't always natural to us; so we need to pray for Joy, surrender to Joy, and pray that God shows us the daily actions to take to make joy bloom in our lives.

4.  Let us ponder and treasure Jesus in our hearts, like Mary did (Luke 2:19).   Take time every day to reflect on our lives and how God is working in us and through us and around us.

5.  Let us speak time with each other, encouraging each other, strengthening each other's faith.  We sometimes forget how important our presence is to others. As we read the nativity story, we see how many people were involved and turned to each other. Let us not neglect the life of community and communal prayer.

6. Let us listen to our dreams, follow the star God shines on our paths.  Let us take the solitary time needed to discern our dreams and the star light God fills our hearts with.

7.  Remember: like Joseph, who said not a word in scripture, our actions speak volumes.  Because of his goodness and trust that God was leading him, he  had a part in saving not just Mary's and Jesus' lives -- but indirectly ours!  

Let us reflect and cultivate these Christmas lessons -- and be a Christmas people all year long.

A Happy and Holy Christmas season!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    Bible,  Living life on life's terms, spirituality

    RSS Feed

© Moira Ahearne 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.