The bottom line

There are many traditions around Christmas.

There are many preparation and many activities.

There are many songs and many celebrations.

The Gospel for the Vigil Mass of Christmas (Matthew 1:1-25) reminds us of the bottom line of Christmas:


All this took place
to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold,
the virgin shall conceive
and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."

Beyond everything - good, bad, and empty - the bottom line os Christmas is this:

Christ is born.

God is with us.