Thanksgiving for Christmas

That might sound like an unusual title but Christmas is about thanksgiving. We are giving thanks to God for the best gift that we could receive. God loves the world so much that He sent His only Son to be its Savior. Even though the Mystery of the Incarnation took place many years ago, we still celebrate that event with great joy and anticipation. The joy comes from the love that God has for each of us. The anticipation comes with the reality that we are still waiting for the second coming of Christ. We also take our thankfulness from the Blessed Virgin Mary who sang the praises of God in her Magnificat, Luke 1:46-56. Our Blessed Mother offered these words after greeting her cousin Elizabeth. Mary praised God after Elizabeth said, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." In her response, Mary said, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name." That is a thankful response that Mary offers and we need to be thankful as well. Mary's yes to the will of God in her life meant salvation for all of us. As we approach this Christmas Time, let us be thankful for the gifts that God gives to us in our life, but most importantly, let us be thankful for the gift of His Son, for Jesus is truly the "Reason for the Season!" Have a Blessed Day!!!