It seems that every year at Christmas my mother laments, “What can I give you? You have everything.” She loves to give and feels sad that I have no pressing material needs. In her mind, how can her gift delight, surprise, and overwhelm me with joy if there is little need? I try to reassure her how much her gifts...
When I visited Bethlehem, we toured the Church of the Nativity which stands on the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Originally commissioned by Constantine and his mother in 327, it is the oldest major church in the Holy Land. Beneath the main altar of the church is a cave with a silver star on the floor. The inscription around it reads, “Here...
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news . . . Today in the town...