Barely three days away from Christmas, but hopefully we can still pause and reflect amidst the holiday rush. How is your spiritual preparation for Jesus's coming? Where are you celebrating Christmas? And how are you celebrating Christmas? I guess you have decided where and how you want to celebrate the Christmas! Interestingly, at Christmas we remember the birth of a newborn child- Jesus who chose to be born in the little town of Bethlehem and not in the famous and more advanced city of Jerusalem.

Today’s readings, especially the Gospel, remind us that Jesus is reborn every day in ordinary people living ordinary lives, who have the willingness to respond to God’s call and the openness to do God’s will. They suggest that Christmas should inspire us to carry out God’s word as Mary and Jesus did, in perfect obedience to His will, in cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity.

Contrary to the belief of many that Christmas is a time to show off affluence, a time of indulging in various forms of pleasurable and luxurious living or social activities, the readings of today highlight what should characterize everything we do in this period – and that is taking Christ to others. A time we bring people to experience Christ by our way of living; this is the most important of all and the true spirit of Christmas. It does not matter whether you are a significant figure or not, God wants to use you to bring Himself to others.

In the Gospel, Luke tells us how two seemingly insignificant women met to celebrate the kindness and fidelity of God. It shows us how sensitive Mary was to the needs of Elizabeth, her older cousin who had miraculously become pregnant in her old age. For Luke, discipleship consists in listening to God’s word and then carrying it out, and Mary does both, to become the most perfect disciple. Mary took time to visit her cousin Elizabeth shortly after the angel announced to her that she was going to be the mother of the Messiah. The angel informed her cousin Elizabeth was already six months pregnant. Immediately, Mary travelled to the hill country of Judah to rejoice with Elizabeth.

It is remarkable that Mary’s visit was not a short and quick one because she stayed with Elizabeth for three months. During the period, these two cousins must have shared their profound experiences on the work of God in their lives. Mary, who had been pondering on the message of the Angel, needed someone with whom to share her thoughts and emotions. She needed someone who could understand her story and someone who had an in-depth knowledge of God’s strange ways. Also, she needed to share her joy with someone who was special to her, and no other person came to her mind other than Elizabeth. The prophetic words of Elizabeth show that she was a woman who was in touch with the working of the Holy Spirit. No wonder, Elizabeth repeated the words of the Angel to Mary: “Blessed are you.”

The season of Christmas is a season of visitation. It is a time of reunion and a time when we visit our families and friends and it is a time to remember special people who played significant roles in our lives. More still, during this season, we identify with people who are lonely – especially the bereaved, prisoners, those who are homebound, orphans, lonely children, elderly people, the sick and all those people on the margin of our society. There are times when we are in dire need of someone with whom we can share our sorrows, joys, confusions, fears, and anxieties. We carefully search for people we can confide in, people who will not judge us, who will not mock or ridicule us, but people who can cheer us up, encourage us, understand our perspectives and provide us with new insights. No doubt, Mary found these rare qualities and virtues in her cousin Elizabeth.

Christmas is a time to express our sensitivity and kindness towards the needy. Our exchange of material gifts is important, but what counts even more is the time we are able to spend with the needy who need our visit most. “And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing: goodwill towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without goodwill towards men.”– Charles Spurgeon. “At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.” -St. Theresa of Calcutta. Today we are called to take Christ to others; To bring others to experience Christ by our positive actions as our mother Mary demonstrated in that generous and selfless visit to Elizabeth her kinswoman. Christmas is the ideal time for us to be filled with the spirit of Christ, allowing his rebirth within us. Once Christ is reborn in us, He enables us to share his love with all whom we encounter by offering them humble and committed service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate, caring love. May you leap with joy in God’s presence today and always.