Reason for the Season

Tom and I served in Thailand with our children for three years and had the opportunity to go to the beautiful midnight mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Udon Thani  for Christmas during our time there.

The joy of being in the missions for Christmas for us was  that the emphasis is on the celebration within the Church and little else – and the luxury of time.  With few distractions it was easier to just spend time together.  Of course being in the missions at the holidays,  it is also a time when everyone more acutely misses family and friends being so far from home.

Trying to bring the mission joy forward to me means working to keep the emphasis on ‘the reason for the season’ and letting go of the pressure that exists for so many of us in our culture regarding spending, gifts, rushing around and the lack of time for what really matters.

Today our Mission Doctors who are serving in Africa and Latin America will celebrate a Christmas where the emphasis will be on the birth of Jesus.  They will however, also be missing family and friends during the special time of year.   Please keep them and all missionaries in your prayers this Christmas and always.