Christmas Eve 2020

INTRO:

Did you know it is roughly 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem?

According to GOOGLE maps it would take about 34 hours to travel the distance on foot, not counting stops for rest – nor does it consider bandits in the desert and a woman at full term pregnancy???

But this is the journey that Joseph and Mary make.

This dangerous journey is NOT A CHOICE, but, a DEMAND from Caesar Augustus.
He doesn’t care about PEOPLE…. Only to him numbers COUNT!!!!

Thus, THE CENSUS! I am just pointing out that he didn’t care about people. In a way people don’t count to him just the numbers. He is only interested in NUMBERS to proclaim that he has the largest empire!

But, MARY & JOSEPH in traveling for the census put their HOPE in GOD!
And they know that to GOD they count!

And they relied heavily upon God in their dangerous traveling, just like you and I have done in the past nine months. We all have relied upon God with patient endurance.

It was day 10 of the shut-down that we celebrated the Annunciation that Mary accepted to be the mother of God.
LET IT BE DONE TO ME AS YOU SAY!

Now 9 months later scientists and researchers have birthed a vaccine as we await the birth of our Lord and Savior, the Light of the world.

May we spread that light to all who are living with despair, anxiety, and fear in the midst of this seemingly never-ending virus.

Remember we celebrate that God has become one of us and because He has become human, WE should realize the sacredness of our own humanity and the humanity of all others. All humanity is sacred and COUNTS among our Catholic and Christian community here at IHM!

CONCLUSION

May God bless you all with continued faithfulness, strength, courage, inspiration, vision and joy as we end 2020 and look forward to brighter days in 2021.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!