Reflections on disability, Christian meaning and purpose in suffering. Christian subjects.
I was sitting in the darkened living room. The only light came from the Christmas tree and the flickering embers in the the fireplace. Michael W. Smith's Christmas album was playing. All Is Well began to play. In my quietness I wondered, is all well with Mark? Granted, much of my life has not worked out very well, in worldly terms, yet Christ abides with me. His presence is very real. Spiritually, I am thriving! Yes, I can say All Is Well. As long as He is with me All Is Well. What about you?
What a wonderful Christmas present! This blog hit 42,000 visitors. They come from virtually everywhere on the planet. (It would be tedious to mention every country.) The top ten countries of visitors are, in descending order: The United States, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Iran and Brazil. (China deserves an honorable mention -- they were very close in numbers to Brazil.) 
Although Nathanson knew he was completely forgiven, until his death, he seemed tormented by the realization and memory of the great evil in which he had been involved and promoted. Yes, God forgave Bernard Nathanson completely, but did Bernard Nathanson completely forgive himself? To the end of his life, Dr. Nathanson worked to stop what he previously worked to establish: Abortion in America. I pray that he fully allowed the redemptive work of Christ at the cross to free him. Nathanson’s last fifteen years should have been lived in the liberty and freedom Christ offers. All that passed before was forgiven in his confession, repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and washed away in the waters of Baptism.
One day when I was a child I asked my father why we call the day that Jesus died Good Friday. After all, Christ went though the most horrible torture, crucifixion and death. My father responded, “It may have been bad for Jesus but his death was good for us.” He was right. Christ died that we might live. The most horrible death of our Lord on the Cross settled the human problem of evil, sin, and alienation from God so that we could have forgiveness and have eternal life. 
Is there some sin that you have confessed yet you have not forgiven yourself? Have you taken something that was intended for good and used it for evil ― such as sexuality or intelligence? Confess it, repent and look forward. Let your sin go. If God has forgiven it, who are you to keep remembering it? Forgive yourself and let God fully transform your life to be a new creature in Christ. 
What is the point of life? The purpose of being alive can be summed up in one word: Love. To love God with our whole being and to love our neighbour as our self. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 22.37-30. (cf. John 15.9 &12). The greatest commandment is rooted in love.* To love Christ with complete abandon and obey His commandments gives life its highest meaning. Love is superior to all things but has no place for superiority. Love puts the interests of others above self-interest. Saint Paul described the characteristics of authentic love in 1Corinthians 13. Anything truly worth while is based on love. 
The baby arrived into a dim and dank manger filled with the usual odours of a stable and, perhaps, lit by a solitary candle. His holy Mother stopped the infant’s shivering in the night air by wrapping him in swaddling clothes and nursed him. The Virgin Mother of the Incarnate Word looked into the face of God with an unbreakable and holy bond of love and wonderment. What a rapturous moment it must have been! All of heaven rejoiced to see God’s plan of salvation unfolding. 
While waiting for them to arrive, I want to share a video of another star singing one of my favourite carols. Here is Kaitlyn Maher singing Away In A Manger. (After listening to this little cutie, come back to hear another beautiful carol). Take it away Kaitlyn!
As I grow older, my desire for tradition increases. And so my second offering is the King's College Choir (Cambridge) singing O Holy Night. The video was recorded in King's College Chapel. Construction of King's College Chapel began in 1446 by King Henry VI and took over a century to build. He was exhausted when it was finished. 
Although King's College Chapel pales in comparison to St. Vital Catholic Church in my community, it still evokes a sense of celebration of the Christmas Season. And so I offer you the King's College Choir. Enjoy.
