
Gospel – Luke 2:16-21
‘The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger’
The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
Reflection
God came humbly and quietly into our world, and yet his wonder could not be hidden.
Prayer
God-With-Us, as the Christmas Octave draws to a close, I pray that I, like Mary and the shepherds, may store up the treasures of your coming in my heart, to sustain me as I embark on this new year. Amen.
The Gifts of Christmas
The best gifts can’t be wrapped! Adapted from an original Ten Gifts of Christmas by Sister Margaret Schweiss, we suggest offering one of these special gifts to someone in your life who would benefit from them, each day of the Christmas Octave.
The gift of listening
This means you really listen–no interrupting, no daydreaming, no walking away, and no planning your response. Just listen.
Why not give this precious gift to someone who isn’t heard very often? Perhaps someone who is shy, or who lives alone and doesn’t often get the chance to talk?