Waiting with childlike hearts

Sisters and brothers in Christ, one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up was "Home Alone". I remember gathering together as a family and watching this fun movie and my mom asking us questions throughout the movie. What memories! I still watch "Home Alone" every Christmas, not so much for nostalgia but more so to remind me to have a "childlike" heart at Christmas not matter how old I get with each passing season.

A "childlike" heart is pure, innocent, filled with wonderment and love, just as a child is pure, innocent, filled with wonderment and love. It is a heart that I desire to have when I celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ each Christmas. It is a heart that I desire to have when I go to meet our Lord at his Second Coming and give him praise and glory. I am grateful to the Church for giving us the gift of Advent, a time of preparation to transform my weary heart to a "childlike" heart to receive the most precious Christmas gift of all - Baby Jesus.

May the "Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon [us]: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD", so that with "childlike" hearts, we have faith and believe in the greatest miracles in human history - the Incarnation - God becomes man and dwells among us.

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Gospel of the Day

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike. 

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 

All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”