Issue 50.14
Sometimes it can be difficult to get into the holiday spirit when you have lost a loved one. The pain of separation is still felt and often more acute during this season. Our hearts yearn for some connection with our loved ones who are no longer here. We miss our loved ones and the opportunity to share the holidays with them.
There are no easy answers to these feelings of separation. Even though we know our loved ones continue to live on in spirit, we still want to connect with them in some way and feel their presence once again. Through our faith we know that death is not the end but a beginning of new life on a spiritual plane. The lesson of Christmas is that life is an eternal process and a journey to discover the reality of life and God’s everlasting Love.
As we reflect on the meaning and sacredness of this holy season, our minds turn to the wonderful gifts that are offered at Christmas. The best gifts of Christmas are unseen. We don’t find them under the tree or in “the stockings hung by the chimney with care.” Instead, they are the intangible gifts that enrich our lives and remind us that life is much more than our physical possessions.
The birth in Bethlehem created a spiritual shift in our world and gifted us with a new spirit. Through the birth of the Christ Child, God expressed unlimited love and compassion for each of us and all of humanity. This gift of divine love fills us with joy and new hope as we become aware of God’s unconditional love through this Christmas gift.
As we practice these spiritual truths of Peace and Love to all and begin to realize we are one family in God, then “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all” becomes a reality for us. May the light of the first Christmas morning shine in our hearts where Christ is born in us today. May all of us be filled with the light and love of Christmas today and every day.
These invisible gifts of Christmas give us good reason to sing out: “Joy to the World! The Lord is come. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing… the wonders of His Love.” May you experience the wonder of God’s unconditional love for you and your family this season.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Luigi Persichetti is the chaplain for Southern Utah Home Care and Hospice and retired minister of the Unity Church of Positive Living in St. George.