The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections with Pope Francis

The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections with Pope Francis

The Peace of Christmas offers an opportunity to reflect with Pope Francis on the many moods and challenges of one of the central realities of our faith: Our God became one of us, came to dwell in our midst, and began life as we all do, as a tiny baby, needy and vulnerable and dependent on the people around him for his very survival.  Through the pope’s insights and reflections, you will be comforted and challenged, enlightened and reassured. He knows that Christmas is many things to many people, often changing with the times and circumstances, with your experiences in the months since last Christmas. Just as God chose to become one of us, so our lives are shaped and changed by the world around us.  While the book is divided into daily reflections, it’s more a book for browsing than marching through day by day. Keep it someplace handy, pick it up when you have a few minutes of quiet. Turn to its pages when you feel frustrated with the hectic pace of preparations or when you feel suddenly struck by the wonder and beauty of this season. Let the words of Scripture and the words of Pope Francis move you to a new appreciation of the incarnation.   Diane M. Houdek is the author of The Hope of Lent ,  The Joy of Advent ,  Pope Francis and Our Call to Joy ,  Lent with St. Francis , and  Advent with St. Francis . She is a professed Secular Franciscan with a bachelors degree in English and history from Marquette University and a masters degree in English literature from Northwestern University. She is the digital book editor for Franciscan Media and past editor of  Weekday Homily Helps  and  Bringing Home the Word . The Peace of Christmas Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis By Diane M. Houdek Franciscan Media Copyright © 2017 Diane M. Houdek All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-63253-171-1 Contents Introduction: The Twelve (or Forty) Days of Christmas, xi, The Gift of Gratitude, 1, The God of Surprises, 4, Making a List and Checking It Twice, 7, Balancing Expectations, 10, Christmas Is for Children, 13, Creator of the Stars of Night, 16, Emmanuel — God with Us, 19, The Woman at the Heart of the Christmas Story, 22, What Do Our Decorations Say?, 26, It Started with St. Francis, 29, Keeping Christmas Simple, 32, Generations of Ornaments, 35, The Crib and the Cross, 38, Knowing We Have Enough, 41, Overcoming Our Doubts and Insecurities, 44, The Paradox of the Incarnation, 47, When You Eat and Drink, Remember Me, 50, Learning Generosity, 53, Reaching Out in Mercy, 56, "He Kept Christmas in His Heart", 59, Letting Ourselves Be Loved, 62, Those Long-Standing Traditions, 65, Let There Be Light, 68, The Empty Chair, 71, Light in the Darkness, 74, The Power of Love, 78, Seeing with the Eyes of God, 81, The Challenge of Christmas, 84, The Whole World Being at Peace, 87, The Wonder of an Infant, 90, A Time for Family, 93, When Our Families Don't Seem So Holy, 96, Mary, Mother of God, 99, As the Year Draws to a Close, 102, A Flight into Egypt, 105, Follow the Star, 108, Arise, Shine, Go Forth, 111, Our Life Is a Journey, 115, Returning to Nazareth, 118, Sources, 121, CHAPTER 1 The Gift of Gratitude A Quiet Reflection from Pope Francis Saying "thank you" is such an easy thing, and yet so hard! How often do we say "thank you" to one another in our families? These are essential words for our life in common. "Sorry," "excuse me," "thank you." If families can say these three things, they will be fine. "Sorry," "excuse me," "thank you." How often do we say "thank you" to those who help us, those close to us, those at our side throughout life? All too often we take everything for granted! This happens with God too. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but to go and thank him: "Well, I don't need to." I think of the ten lepers in the Gospel who were healed by Jesus. They approach him and, keeping their distance, they call out: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). They are sick, they need love and strength, and they are looking for someone to heal them. Jesus responds by freeing them from their disease. Strikingly, however, only one of them comes back, praising God and thanking him in a loud voice. Jesus notes this: ten asked to be healed and only one returned to praise God in a loud voice and to acknowledge that he is our strength. Knowing how to give thanks, to give praise for everything that the Lord has done for us. A Christmas Reality Thanksgiving in America began with noble sentiments and is surrounded by traditions, rituals, and stories of hardship, sharing, and giving thanks for survival in a new land. A friend of mine, widely known for her cooking skills, often bemoaned the fact that her children, even as adults, wouldn't let her vary the turkey and trimmings menu. I'm amused when grocery stores helpfully group all the ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal in the center aisles for convenience and as a help to those who cook only