Christmas Reflection

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is a wonderful time to remember that very good things often come hidden in

unlikely packages. After all, today we celebrate the fact that the Eternal Word of God,

omnipotent creator of galaxies and planets and forests and oceans teeming with life,

became very small and wrapped himself in our humanity as a baby. A little baby seems

a very unlikely package to deliver the infinite goodness of God. (Marvel that the Word

of God became non-verbal for a time!) And yet consider what it portends: God, who is

love, willingly adopted our weakness and fragility, our helplessness and dependence, to

make eternal truth, goodness, beauty, and love present in our midst!

Today, as we join with wise men and shepherds to seek the God who gives himself as a

gift wrapped in mystery, we also take inspiration for our mission at Porto. We trust that

good and beautiful gifts come wrapped in unexpected packaging. We know the dignity

of the human person, and that for all of us, beneath the layers of dependence and real

difficulties we face, God’s image and likeness still shines as a real treasure. Christmas

spurs us to recognize those real gifts in our loved ones and to continue to build a world

where people of all abilities are welcomed and cherished. Welcome to our world and

our hearts, Jesus made present in many faces and friends! And Merry Christmas to all!

By Fr. Rich Miserendino

Board Member