Devotion

Christmas Eve arrives. If you celebrate Christmas, this night carries particular energy—the waiting is almost over. The promise is about to be fulfilled. The Messiah is coming. Yet waiting itself is sacred. The psalmist describes waiting like watchmen waiting for morning—with alertness, with longing, with absolute certainty that morning is coming. This is not anxious waiting but confident waiting. Not doubt but trust. On Christmas Eve, wait. Let the anticipation build. Let yourself feel the longing. Let yourself hope. Do not rush into Christmas. Let this night of waiting be its own gift. Wait actively—by lighting candles, by reading the Christmas story, by singing carols, by being present with those you love. Wait prayerfully—by praying for peace, for joy, for God's coming into your heart and into the world. Wait trustingly—by knowing that God will come, has come, will come again. In this waiting, you participate in something ancient and deep. Countless people throughout history have waited on this night. Shepherds waited. Wise men waited. Mary waited. Now you wait. And in the waiting, transformation happens. You let go. You surrender. You receive. Celebrate Christmas Eve not as a night to rush through to get to Christmas morning, but as a sacred night of waiting.