Throughout Advent, the Lord through His word has promised us a miraculous Christmas. The blind would see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dumb speak. Many of us may not have experienced such dramatic miracles this Christmas season.
Nonetheless, there's another miracle that is even more dramatic and more important: the miracle of unconditional love, love for enemies, love for the unlovable. This is the ultimate miracle of the Christian life and of Christmas. When we are willing to lay down our lives in love (1 Jn 3:16) for prejudiced individuals, traitors like Judas, and murderers like Hitler, we truly have received the miracle of Christmas, Calvary, and Christ. This proves we are sons and daughters of the heavenly Father (Mt 5:45) and proves we have had the real Christmas, because no one but the Father's children can forgive and love the unlovable.
Think of your enemy or the person that has hurt you the most. Ask the Lord for His crucified love for that person to flow through you. Open your Christmas present of unconditional love.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, may I respond to hate with love as You do. |
| PROMISE: | "I solemnly assure you, you shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." –Jn 1:51 |
| PRAISE: | In his eight years as Bishop of Philadelphia, St. John increased the attendance at diocesan Catholic Schools twenty-fold. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College