Christmas

It’s a time of shimmering candlelight, the scent of evergreens, sparkling decorations, time spent with family and friends. It's also a season of hope.

The grief and the joy of Christmas coincide in the same way life and death are with us every day.

Riverhead’s annual Santa parade and bonfire has been postponed to next Saturday, Dec. 18, due to weather concerns, according to the Business Improvement District.

The lyrics of a carol from the poem "Christmas Bells," written on Christmas Day in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth snaps everything into perspective: “Then pealed the bells loud and deep; God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

Beneath all the glitter of this commercialized season, I know many people who are waiting for much greater things than a neatly wrapped gift beneath a Christmas tree.

Miracles are not so hard to believe in when you see them through the eyes of a child.

Here comes the “over” season: Overspending overeating, over-partying, over-drinking, over-planning and over-taxing ourselves, physically and emotionally. It all comes with consequences.

With all the hustle-bustle of Christmas, it's easy to lose focus on the true meaning of the holiday: God became human to be with us because he loves us.

Remember the Christmas message, proclaimed repeatedly throughout the Gospel: 'Do not be afraid' because God is with us.