To you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: May blessing and peace of heart be your rich gifts from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord. [1 Thessalonians 1:1 (TLB)]

Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed instead of over-joyed. Priorities get out of whack, deadlines loom, and both finances and relationships are strained. There never seems to be enough time or money for what we want to do. Gifts have to be purchased, packages mailed, cookies baked, cards sent, letters written, stockings hung, trees trimmed, homes cleaned, reservations made, and parties attended. The purpose of Christmas is not about our ability to channel Martha Stewart, the beauty of our decorations, the length of our Christmas card list, or how much money we managed to save on Black Friday. Christmas has nothing to do with the number of gifts we’ve purchased and wrapped; it’s about the gift of God’s amazing grace that was once wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem. It has nothing to do with the number of lights festooning our yards and houses; Christmas is about the gift of God’s son: the everlasting light that came into the world!

Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the joy we give will certainly come back to us. … Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives. [Pope Benedict XVI]

Later, in one of his talks, Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” [John 8:12 (TLB)]