Today, I want to remind you of something essential and profoundly simple:  the only one celebrated at Christmas is Jesus. Amidst so many lights, gatherings, gifts, and celebrations, we run the risk of forgetting the one who gives meaning to everything.

I am struck by the power of Thanksgiving Day. Originally, it is a day to give thanks to God, and in reality, those of us who believe know that every day should be a day of thanksgiving. Living in God’s presence means always having the word “thank you” on our lips, in our eyes, and in our hearts.

However, it’s curious how Thanksgiving has often become devoid of its meaning: big football games, lavish meals, gatherings where there’s barely any mention of God, or even none at all. It would be a tragedy if the same thing happened to us at Christmas.

Christmas is something entirely different. We don’t celebrate a harvest or a human achievement. We celebrate the moment God enters the world, our history, and our lives. God becomes man, takes on a body like ours, feels cold, hunger, and weariness, and begins the journey that will culminate in his passion, death, and resurrection. That is Christmas.

How sad it would be to gather at Christmas to exchange gifts, have dinner, toast with good wine, and forget about Jesus, when He is the center and the reason for everything. That is why it is important to prepare in advance so that the 24th and 25th do not pass without participating in Holy Mass, without receiving Him, without dedicating a moment to adoration.

The Gospel reminds us that the first to worship him were the shepherds. Then you and I followed. Today, it’s much easier than then: we don’t have to walk long distances or face the fear of entering an unfamiliar cave. We simply need to go to our parish, a chapel, or the nearest church, wherever we are, whether on vacation or far from home.

Let’s not allow Christmas to become just a celebration for ourselves: gifts for us, food for us, music for us. It’s not about rejecting joy and fellowship, but about putting Jesus at the center. First, to adore him, to thank him, to recognize him as God made child; and then, with him, to celebrate together.

Christmas can be joyful every day, but it will only truly be Christmas if it is holy. At His feet, let us adore Him. And from there, let us do all the good we can.

Let us have a happy and holy Christmas, and may God always bless us.