Posted on diciembre 26, 2025 View all Gospel Reflection
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Merry Christmas!
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, but we are also in the octave of Christmas.
The great day of Christmas is one of the two most important holy days of the year. (The other one being Easter.) These two holy days form the bookends for the salvific work done by Jesus Christ as our Messiah and Savior to open for us the gates of heaven. It is the fulfilment of God’s covenant promise to the world. In fact, it is the arrival of the day when the plan that God the Father revealed to the angels before the beginning of the world became flesh and dwelt among us.
It is very common to celebrate this day with the exchange of gifts, celebrations and family gatherings. It is truly fitting to do so. Even in the days of Jesus’ birth, he was surrounded by family in Bethlehem, the Three Kings brought him gifts, and the angel choirs sang in celebration “Gloria in excelsis Deo!”.
The question that I think is before us in the midst of all this joy is ‘How do we let the joy of the newborn child guide our hearts not just in this Christmas season, but throughout our lives?’ If we turn to the secular world, it seems like they would have us toss the Christmas tree to the curb on Dec. 26 and move on to the next thing! But as Catholics we know that this season has just begun.
The traditional Christmas song “Twelve Days of Christmas” is helpful for us to keep Christ in Christmas and to celebrate the joys of the Christmas season until either the feast of the Epiphany (January 4)/Three Kings (traditionally on January 6) or the Baptism of the Lord (January 11). This song, which tradition holds came about during the period of religious persecution in England, reminds us of the 12 gifts we have all received in the Church from God as a means for our salvation. From the Birth of Christ (A Partridge in a Pear Tree) to 5 Golden Rings (the first five books of the Bible), to 12 Drummers Drumming (the twelve points of the Apostles’ Creed).
As we enjoy these most beautiful and holy days, let us pray that the Lord will send us the gift of His grace that we may be faithful to Him and use the generous gifts he has given us so that we may be saved and that whatever we do in word or in deed, we should do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (cf. Colossians 3:17)
