# Christmas Day – Jesus, the Human Face of God
*2014-12-24*

> Bill reflects on the true historic reality of Christ’s birth and how the infant Jesus reveals God’s love in humility, inviting us to live in His presence.

## The Presence of God at Christmas

Christmas is the feast of the presence of God, who comes among us to save us. The birth of Jesus is not a fable; it is a historic event that truly occurred in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Faith enables us to recognize the child born of the Virgin Mary as the true Son of God, who, out of love for us, became human.

## God Revealed in Weakness

In the face of the little Jesus, we see the face of God—not in strength and power, but in the weakness and fragility of a newborn baby. This is how God chooses to come close to us: in a child. That child displays the faithfulness and tenderness of unconditional love that surrounds each of us.

## Why We Celebrate

We celebrate Christmas because, like the shepherds at Bethlehem, we encounter God’s love in the humble circumstances of the world. We join with fathers and mothers who sacrifice daily, with the sick and the poor, and with all who long for hope. Christmas is the celebration of God’s encounter with us in Jesus.

## A Prayer for Living the Gift

May everyone come to know the true faith of the Father who gave us Jesus, feel God’s closeness, live in His presence, love Him, and adore Him. May each of us give glory to God through our lives, offering ourselves in love for Him and for all our brothers and sisters. Jesus, help me spend my life in love for you and others.

*Christmas calls us to recognize God’s love revealed in the humility of the infant Jesus and to live that love daily.*