As the Christmas season comes to an end this Sunday it gives me the opportunity to look back on the past few weeks. Proyecto Juan Diego like most places was closed for the holiday but that didn’t mean we weren’t thinking about those who were in need. One of the most memorable experiences was December 24. 3 teens in the youth group, Sr. Phylis and I went over to Matamoros, Mexico to visit families and deliver toys to the children.

Our first stop was the church, a gathering place. We asked Amalia and her two boys (who live just across the street) to let the children in the colonia know to come to the church to get a toy. The boys ran from house to house spreading the word. Soon the kids we saw during the summer came to greet us and chose a toy. They were filled with surprise! The toys went as quickly as the kids came. But we had saved some for another colonia…when we arrived in the soccer field (the backyard to many homes) the kids and their moms gave us a warm welcome. Everyone received a hug from the kids. Leslie, Abe, and Juan asked the teens how they were doing. They even invited us to stay for their Christmas Eve celebration. They children didn’t want the teens to leave. This is the moment I celebrated the incarnation. God was indeed present –not in the giving or receiving of gifts- but in these relationships. Christ was in those children wanting us to remain with them and to celebrate with them.

The wonderful thing is that I have all year to meet Christ, the question for me is, Can every day be a celebration of the gift of the incarnation?