In the pre-Christmas rush, it is easy to forget the true meaning of this holiday. In his sermon, Father Andrii Pinchuk reminds us that the first Christmas was nothing like a cozy postcard. Mary and Joseph were travelers looking for shelter, and they faced the coldness of closed doors, finding a place only in a humble manger.
Today, we see the image of the Holy Family in thousands of our refugees and soldiers on the front lines. Amidst our holiday preparations, we must find room for those who, like Christ once did, find themselves in hardship, under shelling, or far from home. May our Christmas be a time of active help and sincere prayer for everyone in need of protection.
