Christmas DayOne of my favorite things in the buildup to Christmas is distributing presents from my parish's Angelic Gift drive. This year, we had double the number of parishioners in need, but I still got to wear a Santa hat and help them carry their presents to the car, seeing everybody's faces light up. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. My family couldn't get together and bake Christmas cookies, which is normally a tradition that ends up with 300 dozen of several traditional Italian cookies spread around my parents' kitchen and dining room. Instead, we had a zoom call in which five different households made gingerbread houses with the participants ranging from 15 months to 65 years old. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The other day I got a call from a parishioner who had just tested positive for Covid-19. He didn't know how he was going to pay his rent, and since he is undocumented, he doesn't have as many employment or eviction protections. The parish was able to help with rent, and refer him to Legal Aid for other support. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. A dear friend of mine celebrated her wedding last weekend. Instead of being the big festivity she had planned last spring, it was 40 people spaced out in a giant church (reception rescheduled to next year). But the joy on the bride and groom's faces when they proclaimed their vows was all that it would have been in any circumstance. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In a land occupied by a foreign power, a 9-month pregnant girl and her working-class husband had to make a grueling trek to get registered in a census. When they got to their destination, they were turned away from the hotel, and instead had to make due with a barn. Still, God was with them, and Emmanuel was made flesh, and angels proclaimed his birth. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. I love John's poetic style in today's gospel. In this long season of darkness and broken hopes and changed plans, when both we and our clients are experiencing loss and sickness and financial hardship, it is absolutely essential to remember that light always wins over darkness. The Light of the World was born today, and we must celebrate! As partners in ministry, we get to be the ones from the first reading who bring glad tidings, announce peace, and bear good news. Merry Christmas, and may you find light and love today and always! Sheila Herlihy is Coordinator of Justice and Charity at Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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