Christmas Eve 23 Dec. 2007 St. Mary’s, S.I.                                             CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE CHILDREN     CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE CHILDREN.  IT REALLY IS!  CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE CHILDREN IN ALL OF US: AND THE CHILDREN OF ALL OF US.  THIS IS A MAGICAL NIGHT. THIS IS CELEBRATION TIME.  THIS IS A TIME FOR REJOICING.  THIS IS A TIME OF WONDER – WONDER THAT IS SEEN IN THE EYES AND FELT IN THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN.     DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS EVES?  WHEN I WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OLD WE MOVED TO A BIG VICTORIAN HOUSE IN PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA.  WE HAD A LARGE, OLD-FASHIONED LIVING ROOM – I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED A PARLOR IN ITS DAY – AND IT HAD SLIDING, WOODEN POCKET DOORS, THAT I DON’T BELIEVE WERE EVER CLOSED, EXCEPT AT CHRISTMAS EVE.     SHORTLY BEFORE BED TIME, THEY WERE PULLED SHUT SO THAT SANTA COULD COME AT HIS LEISURE AND SET UP THE TREE AND ASSEMBLE ALL THE PRESENTS THAT NEEDED CONSTRUCTION.  MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND TWO SISTERS AND I NEVER WERE ABLE TO STAY AWAKE TO LISTEN FOR HIM – SO ALL THE GREATER WAS OUR SURPRISE WHEN AT WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN 3 A.M. – SANTA HIMSELF ROUSED US FROM OUR SLEEP AND LED US DOWNSTAIRS TO THE LIVING ROOM DOORS.     MOM AND DAD STOOD BY IN NIGHTCLOTHES AS SANTA OPENED THE DOORS.  WHAT WONDER AND AWE OVERCAME US AS WE VIEWED THE TRANSFORMATION THAT HAD MAGICALLY TAKE PLACE.  THE TREE – THE LIGHTS – THE TRAINS – THE DOLLS – THE BICYCLE – THE STOCKINGS.  THE JOY – THE LOVE THAT HAD MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE.     IT WAS A WONDROUS TIME – A MAGICAL TIME – A TIME TO BE REMEMBERED – A TIME TO SAVOR – A TIME TO PASS ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION – A TIME FOR THE CHILDREN.  CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE CHILDREN!     PERHAPS YOU HAVE REMINISCED WITH ME AS I HAVE SHARED MY MEMORIES.  AND PERHAPS YOU TOO LONG TO RECAPTURE THE SIMPLE JOY OF THOSE EARLY CHRISTMAS EVES – TO EXPERIENCE ONCE AGAIN THE MAGIC AND THE WONDER AND THE JOY.  YOU CAN, YOU KNOW.  YOU CAN HAVE THOSE MOMENTS AGAIN.  THE CHILD IS STILL THERE – INSIDE OF YOU – IN YOUR HEART.     THE CHILD MAY BE HIDDEN BY YEARS OF ADULTHOOD – OVER-SHADOWED BY WORLDLY SOPHISTICATION; BUT IT IS STILL THERE – DEEP INSIDE EACH ONE OF US.  SANTA IS GONE.  HE’S SERVED HIS PURPOSE AS A VEHICLE OF LOVE AND SURPRISE.  BUT ALL THE OTHER INGREDIENTS OF THOSE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EVES ARE STILL THERE.     THE LIVING ROOM DOORS ARE STILL THERE.  BUT NOW THEY DON’T HIDE SANTA AND HIS HELPERS.  NOW, TONIGHT, THIS CHRISTMAS EVE, THEY HIDE OUR HEARTS.  THEY ARE THE DOORS WE GRADUALLY CLOSE AS WE LEAVE THOSE DAYS OF CHILD-HOOD TRUST AND INNOCENCE.  THEY ARE THE DOORS THAT NOW KEEP OTHERS OUT OF THE CORE OF OUR BEING.     THEY ARE THE DOORS THAT SHELTER US – THAT PROTECT US.  THEY ARE THE DOORS THAT CLOSE TIGHTER WITH EACH HURT – WITH EACH GRIEF – WITH EACH PAIN – WITH EACH LOSS.  YES, SANTA IS GONE, BUT THE LIVING ROOM DOORS ARE STILL THERE.     AND OUR PARENTS ARE STILL THERE.  BACK THEN, THEY WERE OUR EARTHLY PARENTS – TIRED, PERHAPS OVER-WORKED, AND OVER- EXTENDED;  BUT FULL OF LOVE AS THEY WATCHED THE WONDER IN OUR EYES.  NOW, TONIGHT, THIS CHRISTMAS EVE, OUR PARENTS IS GOD.  HE TOO LOVES US, AND HAS SACRIFICED FOR US.  TONIGHT, AS OUR PARENTS DID SO LONG AGO, HE LEADS US TO THE DOORS AND STANDS ASIDE TO WATCH.     HE HAS PREPARED A SURPRISE FOR US.  IT ISN’T A TREE WITH LIGHTS OR A BICYCLE OR A DOLL.  IT AWAITS BEYOND THE DOORS – THE DOORS THAT HE CAN’T OPEN.  IT’S A GIFT MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD – MORE VALUABLE THAN ANY POSSESSION.     IT AWAITS BEYOND THE DOORS OF OUR HEARTS.  SANTA IS GONE, BUT THE DOORS ARE STILL THERE, AND GOD IS THERE, AND THE GIFT IS THERE.  JESUS IS THERE.     ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE HERE THIS HOLY NIGHT.  EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO RECAPTURE THE WONDER – THE JOY – THE MYSTERY AND THE MAGIC OF THOSE CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS EVES.  THE LIVING ROOM IS HERE IN OUR HEARTS.  THE DOORS ARE HERE WAITING TO BE OPENED.  GOD IS HERE, WATCHING IN LOVE, STANDING NEAR, HOLDING OUR HANDS.     THE GIFT IS HERE – JESUS – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD – THE SAVIOR.  AND THE MOMENT IS HERE.  WE NEED ONLY THE CHILD – THE CHILD THAT IS IN EACH ONE OF US – THE CHILD THAT CAN OPEN THE DOORS.  TRUST GOD, AS YOU TRUSTED YOUR PARENTS, AND DON’T MISS THE WONDER – THE MYSTERY – THE JOY – AND THE LOVE THAT JESUS BRINGS.  OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART AND EMBRACE YOUR LORD.     HE WILL BE A DIFFERENT GIFT FOR EACH OF US.  FOR SOME HE WILL BE THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS.  FOR OTHERS, THE GIFT OF NEW LIFE.  FOR SOME HE WILL BE THE GIFT OF COMPANIONSHIP – FOR OTHERS, THE GIFT OF PEACE.  FOR ALL HE WILL BE THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE – THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL.     BECOME A CHILD AGAIN.  ONLY THE TRUST AND LOVE OF A CHILD-LIKE HEART CAN OPEN THE DOORS.  OPEN THE DOORS.  CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE CHILDREN.