This Sunday marks the start of Ordinary Time in the church. As the Christmas liturgical season wound down this week, I realized the challenge that is presented to us at Christmas.
In the secular world, Christmas is about gifts. We spend Advent preparing by buying and wrapping presents, cleaning out spaces in our homes for new things, singing carols, and generally getting ready for the big day. Then Christmas hits. We spend the day(s) traveling around visiting family and friends, getting gifts, and receiving gifts. Then, after all the celebrations, we have to find ways to integrate the gifts into our lives. So it is for us spiritually too.
We spend Advent trying to prepare for a wonderful gift from God. We pray more, reflect more, and receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. On Christmas, we try to understand the gift that God gives us: He sent his Son into our world to show us how to love! After Christmas, we have to find ways to integrate that gift into our lives.
As Catholics we must use the awesome gift we've been given and take Jesus into the world with us. Along with our new clothes and other gifts, we need to integrate Jesus into our lives and share Him with our family and friends.
That's the challenge of Christmas: to share the gift we've received with everyone around us!
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