Time to get ready for Christmas...

The Black Friday ads are out before Thanksgiving in fact some retailers are selling items at Black Friday prices even before Thanksgiving Day. Barbara and I have noticed more stores open on Thanksgiving. In years past it was just Kmart but now others are open as well. Christmas decorations are already picked over in some places. It seems we get ready for all of the buying, consuming, celebrating and decorating way ahead of time. I wonder how much time we spend preparing for Jesus at Christmas?
One of our mothers said her young child reminded her that without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Honestly would that be true? With all of the “holiday” special, programs, deals and shopping could we just drop Jesus and it still go on? Sad to say, I think it would and never know it. Life and living in our day are like that.
We live complicated busy lives to the exclusion of why and what for. There must be a point in all of the Christmas madness but do you and I get prepare to see and experience the point Jesus, God’s gift to a world lost and dying? “And it came to pass…” at just the right moment Jesus was born amongst a political census for taxation purposes. People were consumed with their plans, arrangements, lodging, family and friends, then at just that moment God’s son is born, laid in a manger and only a few know of it shepherds and later Magi. Hard economic times they were. Lost in despair and confusion over taxes, politics and day to day living people struggled. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Most people missed the most important event yet known to man.
Let me encourage you to get ready for Christ at Christmas. Oh sure you have lots to do, go, be, say and cry over but don’t miss the reason for Christmas. A gift of amazing worth, value and sacrifice for ungrateful, mean, no good, rascals like me is the reason for Christmas all because of God’s love for us. The liturgical calendar calls this time of preparation Advent. Let us add this event to our live not just our calendar of events. Let’s get ready again for the miracle of Christmas to be the wonder of the world, our world and all of those who we make contact with this season of celebration for it is a time to announce Joy to the world the Lord is come!