Merry Christmas! We've made it at last. It's Christmas Eve, and I have one more tip to share with you. As I mentioned in my post about lighting an Advent wreath, I decided to embrace the tradition of the Christ candle. I've kept it covered in a blue cloth throughout Advent, representing Mary carrying our Lord. Now that it's Christmas, I can light the candle – it will shine throughout Christmas as a symbol of Christ, who is the Light of the World.If you don't have a Christ candle yet, you can still do the devotion. Starting on Christmas and ending on the celebration of the baptism of the Lord on Jan. 13, you can light the candle and say this prayer:
It is a beautiful devotion that can serve as a gentle reminder of Christ's love – may he burn in your heart this Christmas and always. Merry Christmas!God, our loving Father, You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to conquer all the forces of evil – sin, suffering and death – and to overcome evil with the power of good, and hatred with the strength of love, your great love for us in Jesus.Help us never to curse the darkness, but to join with you in bringing your light into this world, the light that is your Son, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem.Help us to be instruments of your light and love by doing one special act of kindness now and by being your special instrument of reconciliation this Christmas season.May the Christ Candle we light symbolize our desire to bring light into a world of darkness and hope into a world of despair. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
If you want to learn more about the devotion, read "Sustaining the Joy of Christmas" by Bishop Robert J. Baker. And, as always, you can find more tips for a stress-free Christmas here.
