Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

​I love being one of the first people to hear exciting news. I become overjoyed because I know something special and cannot wait to share it with anyone and everyone. My senior year of high school, I remember celebrating with friends as college acceptance letters started rolling in. My senior year of college, I remember rejoicing with friends who were landing their dream job or got into a very competitive graduate school program. Now, as an adult, I have the privilege to share in my friends’ joy as they become engaged, married, or pregnant. 

In today’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene run to share some crazy news with Peter and John - Jesus is no longer in the tomb, and she has no idea where they took Him. I imagine John and Peter then running like little kids, racing down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought them, but instead of finding a plethora of presents, they find an empty tomb.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. John the Apostle, also known as St. John the Beloved, and what a privilege John has in today’s Gospel - not only to be one of the first at the empty tomb but also to see that empty tomb and believe (cf. John 20:8). While the rest of the world might not yet understand what has happened, St. John, the beloved Apostle, knows through faith the joyous and special event that has taken place at this empty tomb - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

I think as we grow older, the world loses its wonder. We see the good, the bad, and the ugly, and sometimes it’s hard not to give up hope in our world. However, we must continue to remember that we have a Savior who entered the darkness of our world during the middle of winter to bring us light. That news is the good news which should leave us so overjoyed that we cannot help but share it with everyone we encounter. My hope is that we never lose our wonder at the miracle of Christ’s Incarnation and His Resurrection and the love the Father has for each one of us. May we, like St. John the Beloved, find ourselves chasing after Christ with all our heart and come to know our identity as Christ’s beloved.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

What is the most exciting news you recently heard?

Who do you share good news with?

​​What is currently giving you hope in the midst of winter?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

"I see and believe."

​"I am beloved."

​"Share the Good News."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?

Share the joy of Christmas and the joy of the Lord with someone you encounter today, whether a family member, friend, or stranger.

I have always been fascinated by one of the lines in this reading on the Feast of St. Stephen, the "porto-martyr" or first martyr of the Church. 

"But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together." 

The reading doesn't include it, but before they do this, St. Stephen gives a long speech about Jesus; He basically preaches the Gospel to them. Then, he says that he sees Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father. I have always been fascinated by their response: to cover their ears and cry out in a loud voice.

Did you ever have a younger sibling cover their ears to avoid listening to something you were saying? I had four younger siblings and they would always do that and it would drive me crazy. They'd say, "I'm not listening, I'm not listening," with their hands over their ears to drown out my voice. It was infuriating!

The only reason I can think that they would cover their ears and cry out loudly is because something deep in their hearts, their consciences, is actually moved by what Stephen is saying, but they want to drown it out, ignore it. 

It's possible that you have some people in your life that you've been either trying to challenge morally, or just evangelize by telling them about Christ, and they just won't hear it. They might even be in your family. . . sometimes it can be frustrating to feel like you have really spoken truth. 

Ultimately, each of us is responsible for how we receive the Word into our hearts. It may be that whoever you are trying to talk to about the faith is just not ready to hear it, and that is okay. You have done your part by trying to speak to them about Christ and your job now may be just to pray for them and wait for a softening of their heart. Every human person is free to choose if they will follow the Lord or not. It is not your job to fix or change anyone, you just need to love them as best as possible! 

We ourselves need to avoid "covering our ears" to the voice of the Lord as well. Do we turn away from our heart, the place where God speaks to us, because we want to do what we want? There is a lesson for us as well in this passage, then, maybe. 

Do you ever cover your ears with the Gospel? What do you want to block out, why? 

Why must we listen and receive the Gospel? 
​
Who are you being called to share the Gospel with?

"I want to listen."

"Let me receive the Gospel."

​"Preach the Gospel."

Who can you share the Gospel with today? Ask for strength, like St. Stephen to share in a loving way, even if you are scared of how the person will respond. 

Praise God! Today is Christmas! The day in which we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. When I was a little boy I would wake up around 5 am to open presents. I would jump out of bed and run to my parents bedroom to wake them up telling them that we had to go downstairs and open presents. They would then roll over and say, "20 more minutes." At which point I would run to the clock and stare at it until 20 minutes had passed. Then we would all line up on the steps of the stairs until our parents dismissed us to go and see if presents were under the tree. The second we would see all the presents we would freak out and excitedly starting sorting them out to give each gift to the child that it was addressed to. We would then open up gifts with joy excited and hugging the things we had received! 

Now the question for you is what have you received on this day of the birth of Jesus Christ? What present from God would satisfy your heart?.... Take a moment and truly ask this question: If the God of the Universe was face to face with you asking what you desired, what would you say?

Well, you are in luck because on this day of Christmas the God of the Universe has descended from His throne and become incarnate on the altar at Mass. If you already attended Mass or are going to after you read this reflection, then thank God that He decided that He literally couldn't live without you and so He did indeed descend from heaven and became a child. He did this not to scare you, not to condemn you, not to harm you; rather He descended to Earth to become weak, sharing your suffering, and redeem every pain of your heart. 

If the God of the Universe can leave His throne and turn bread and wine Into His very self what can't He do? So yes, this Christmas He does satisfy every single desire you have, because at the root of your desire you simply want to be loved. That is the gift God gives us this Christmas and every Christmas, extending to every day of our lives: inexhaustible love.

This day you consume Love Incarnate! And now the Lord asks you... Could there be any greater gift?

What is it that you need from the Lord today?

How can you receive this great gift of love this Christmas?

Are you as excited to receive "Love Incarnate" as you are to open the gift under your tree? Why or why not?

"Joy to the World."

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

"​Thank You, Jesus."

Enjoy your gifts from family and friends today. It is a great way to give and receive love. Enjoy all of that, but remember there is a greater gift, Love Incarnate. All the other gifts are good and nice, but nothing else can ever compare to receiving the Lord who loved you enough to become Man and meets us every day in the Eucharist. There is no greater gift than that, so go and enjoy that gift most of all. 

​In our first reading today, David realizes that he lives in a very nice palace, while the Lord dwells in a tabernacle. David perceives this as wrong and wants to build a glorious temple for the Lord. But the Lord didn’t ask for temple, that is not what He wants. The Lord wants David to serve Him, to follow Him. While the Lord did not ask David for a temple, the Lord does ask that we prepare a place for Him. The Lord asks that we let Him into our heart?

The advent season is coming to a close; we are in the final hours to prepare for His coming. What place have you prepared for Him? By now you are probably done with most of your preparations, shopping, decorating, baking. But, when I say what place have you prepared for Him, I don’t mean setting up a manger scene, decorating the tree or wrapping presents. Instead, what place have you prepared in your heart for the Lord? 

The Lord didn’t want David to build a grand temple, just as He probably doesn’t care much about the presents under the tree. What the Lord does want from you for Christmas is your heart, your whole heart. 

Our Gospel today tells a story we are all familiar with, Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and Gabriel asks if she will bear the Lord’s son. Of all the places that the Lord could dwell, He instead asks if Mary, a young teenager, will carry Him in her womb. And she said yes; her yes changed the course of human history. 

How will you say yes to the Lord? How will you say yes to giving Him your heart? We have one day left to prepare for the Lord’s coming. Let’s not waste it. Ask the Lord to come into your heart today, so tomorrow you can celebrate His coming with full and complete joy. 

Have you ever thought that you should give God a Christmas present? How can you give Him your whole heart?

What is in your life that makes it difficult to give your whole heart to the Lord? How can you prepare yourself today to be able to give the gift of yourself to God tomorrow and every day?

Is Christmas a time to celebrate Christ or to celebrate gifts for you? How can you make room for Christ in your heart to that tomorrow is focused on the joy, peace, and love of God?

"Come, Lord."

"I give you my heart."

"Make me Your home."

Sit down and make room in your heart for Christ today. Christmas Eve can be a busy and even stressful time, but make time to sit in silence with the Lord. Remove all the things that fill your heart that are not of the Lord, and really prepare your heart to be a gift to God.