Many of our cultures celebrate the build-up to Christmas as a day, but we as a community of faith live this feast for more than two full weeks (it will end on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord--January 9th). And there is much to celebrate here, much mystery to enter into more deeply. Too often, the days before (and after) Christmas are too busy to enter into the meaning of this feast and to be able to reflect on the daily graces that are offered to us
These post-Christmas days are opportunities for us to keep asking for those graces to understand the coming of Christ among us. Each of us can keep growing in a sense of freedom and joy over the gift we have been given to know God's love for us and his presence with us more deeply. It is a week of wonder and gratitude.
If our celebration of the days before Christmas and Christmas Day itself were busy or difficult, then this can be a week of recovery and added time to let our Lord come into our lives.
Emmanuel--Our God is with us.