Fourth Sunday of Advent

Finally, the last candle in our Advent wreath is lit. The Lord is coming and soon! I want to share an excerpt from a reflection from Macrina  Wiederkehr's "Seasons of Your Heart" - a book I have used often over the years. This is from my files:

Loving you, of course
I am not at all interested in how much money you are spending on Christmas gifts this year
but rather, in how much blood, sweat, and tears
you are shedding
to make Christ a vital part of your life
for you and I will never be able to erase 
the fact that he came:
   to touch lives--to break bread
   to heal hurt--to forgive sins
   to wash feet--to calm seas
   to walk on water--to give us theSpirit
   and to care immensely.

Yes, to care enough
to be born in our Bethlehem
to live in our land, and weep over our cities
and die and rise again.

So now it's Christmas
and I am not sure what part of you is cripples
or where you need to feel God's saving power
but with everything in me
I believe that Christmas is for healing
And he came to heal.

That is enough for today for our reflection.