December 7, 2017 Thursday Week 1 Day 5

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.   He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6—7

            A Child.  All of the hope for God’s creation and humanity which God created in His own image is held in a Child.  God reveals to us that every child is a gift with potential to become part of the blessing and the redemption of creation and humanity.

            We often look beyond the birth of Jesus to His death and resurrection and miss the wonder of Christmas which is Christ and Mass and means God the Savior has come in the flesh, in human form. 

            We look at the big words like wonderful and counselor but notice words like everlasting, continually, endless and “this time onward and forevermore.” 

            The Christ Child held and still holds unlimited potential for us all.  Through Jesus every child who comes into this world can also hold unlimited potential for we are indeed “able to do all things through Christ”!

            In our world where children are the most vulnerable and often are casualties of divorce, abortion, abuse, war and other forms of instability.  Every child who suffers or killed removes their gifts and potential from a world desperately in need of them.

            The Christ Child reminds of the importance of each child which is a definite contrast to Herod’s response with the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem.