Christmas Peace on Earth

By Jennifer Gregory Miller ( bio - articles - email ) | Dec 23, 2022 | In The Liturgical Year

Merry Christmas Adam! As we near the Solemnity of Christmas, I wanted to wish all our Catholic Culture readers a joy-filled and blessed Christmas.

I’ve been a little quiet at Liturgical Year blog, although I’ve been working behind the scenes for the daily unfolding of the Liturgical Calendar. On Christmas Eve it will be two months since my father died, and I have lost my writing muse, although I hope only temporarily.

I admit that it has been hard to navigate through some of the Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas traditions this year...and we haven’t even reached the actual day of Christmas. However, I was reminded of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14: “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.“ I am sad, and I miss my dad, but I have hope, and I have interior peace. I miss his physical presence, his voice, his conversations, but it’s not a wrenching despair. Some days the sadness can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t disturb Christ’s gift of inner peace and joy.

My heart has been preparing to welcome Christ at Christmas. I am recalling Emmanuel, God-with-us, born in an animal feeding trough, during the chaos of the census, feeling the exhaustion of traveling and a crowded town. I am also looking forward to his Second Coming at Parousia, the glorious ending of time when “God will be all in all.” In all of this, I remember, God always had a plan.

Mary and Joseph kept that interior joy and peace no matter what hardships were happening. And I should imitate them in my preparation for Parousia. Despite any of the chaos, bad news, etc., is it interrupting my interior peace and joy? That has been my focus this Advent. I don’t want to react to the negative, but keep the interior focus. I am asking for that peace and joy that only Christ brings, despite what hardships come my way. I ask for the consolation of His hope and His peace.

And so, with the whole Church again singing the Gloria in the liturgy for Christmas, I say: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.“ May you have that interior peace that only Christ brings.