“Anytime we incarnate love, enact kindness, listen generously, offer deep sympathy, embody compassion, give someone a glimpse of hope, perform even the tiniest work of mercy or justice or hospitality, we participate in the mystery of the Incarnation and the labor of Christmas to bring to birth.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard) 
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“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (John 14)

“When the angels went away from them to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:15-18)
 
“And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13,14)

Laura Catherine Worhacz Laura Catherine Worhacz is a Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament and author of Consecration to Jesus Through Our Lady of The Blessed Sacrament. She is also the Director of Mothers of The Blessed Sacrament. She lives in Trinity, FL with her husband and their two daughters.

“Jesus was born in a human stable, into a poor family. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty, heaven’s glory was made manifest. The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 526, The Christmas Mystery)
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“The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal
And the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible.
The angles and shepherds praise him
And the magi advance with the star,
For you are born for us,
Little Child, God eternal!”
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“Jesus was born in Bethlehem, house of bread. It is a temporal birth to reach the spiritual birth in our souls, where it is conceived by the faith of holy baptism. Hence, this admirable definition of the Eucharist by the Church Fathers: an extension of the incarnation. Jesus Christ is incarnating and living in man.” (St. Peter Juian Eymard)
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“The trust of children who look to their Father for everything is beautiful. …Jesus teaches us this petition because it glorifies our Father by acknowledging how good he is, beyond all goodness.” (CCC 2828)
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“Save the world, O Saviour. For this you have come. Set your whole universe aright. For this you have shone on me and on the magi and on all creation” (From the Kontakion of Romanos the Melodist)
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Ivonne J. Hernandez Ivonne is a Catholic wife, mother, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, President of Elisheba House, speaker, and writer. Author of The Rosary: Eucharistic Meditations. Regular contributor for CatholicMom.com and the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflection. She has written for other publications, including Emmanuel Publishing and Shalom Magazine. She and her husband, Rick Hernandez, coordinate the RCIA program at their home parish. She loves choral music and is a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. She lives in Trinity, FL with her husband and two of her young adult sons.

‘A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.”
 
Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know.”
 
“You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?”
 
The doctor was holding the door handle; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room with his tail wagging and an eager show of gladness.
 
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside... He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing. I know my Master is there, and that is enough.’

(Story from an Unknown Author)

“I would like to see you as you are belonging entirely to Jesus, the King of love, and you, his happy servant, his eternal spouse. Jesus, our good Master, has so few chosen souls, so few royal servants! You must count for a thousand, and serve him for ten thousand, by a fervent and generous eucharistic piety.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard - Excerpt from a letter to Marie de Fégely de Vivy - April 4, 1862)

"[…] I can see that the storm is setting its thunder rolling over your head, and that your soul is troubled and discouragement would be quickly at your door, if God were not protecting the entrance. I understand that [the thought of] Heaven does not encourage you, because the idea of Purgatory darkens the path and divine justice frightens you. So, I will not tell you: Serve our Lord because he has a beautiful Heaven for you; but, Love our good Master because he is gracious and because he has a great love for you, because he created you through love, guided you in love and promised forever the mercy of his love.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard - Excerpt from a letter to Mrs. Camille d’Andigné - August 7, 1864)

“What did I wish for you this year? You surely know, the Eucharistic kingdom of our Lord in you. Notice that I did not say devotion, virtue, or even love, but the kingdom, that is, the gift of your whole self to this good Master to be his possession, his field, his heart, his life, and even his death. We must absolutely come to that; otherwise, you would only be like wood that is put close enough to the fireplace to be dried; it may smoke, cry, shout, be warm; it will never burn if it isn’t in the fireplace, assimilated by its power. Please, you know that in order to light a candle, we must take fire from the flame itself and not from the draft.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard - Excerpt from a letter to Mrs. Natalie Jordan - Paris, January 8, 1864)

“What are you afraid of? An illusion? If my words sound like those in the Gospel, if they help you to be more humble, more obedient, more detached, more generous, more charitable, and more united to me, what have you to fear? My words are spirit and life. A tree is judged by its fruit. As for you, live in an attitude of conversation with me” (Christ’s words to Father Gaston Courtois)

Rick Hernandez Rick Hernandez is a commonsense Catholic, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Director for Elisheba House. He lives in Trinity, Florida, with his wife Ivonne and their children. He also writes for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflections and for Catholicmom.com.