It is such a gift to have an opportunity to write a reflection on our readings today. This time of year brings such excitement and good energy. And it seems this can be felt within the readings, especially in Matthew’s Gospel passage for today. Reading the story about how the birth of Jesus came about reminds me of God’s genuine intention to be closer to us in a very real and personal way.

When I think about Jesus and the time he spent with us in his humanity, I tend to be pulled toward the end of his life and focus on his death and resurrection. After all, it says so much about the love God has for us. But, after reading today’s gospel story, I feel pulled in a new direction, and one that tells me even more about God’s love.

The story of the birth of Jesus seems to be a very tangible and outward sign of God’s genuine intention to show us how much God loves us. We know how the story turns out with the resurrection. But, it’s this initial moment that is grabbing my attention. When the Holy Spirit partnered with Mary and Joseph to conceive a child, the decision was made, and our lives were changed forever. There was a genuine intentionality to have a deeper relationship with each of us, and it began at the moment we read about today. What a moment to celebrate!

It seems that our social norms are always focused on the ultimate outcomes and endpoints because they signify achievement and progress. But every outcome starts with an intentional moment. These moments seem to get overlooked and maybe even taken for granted as just part of our daily lives. But, thinking about them further, this intentionality is as important as the outcome and maybe even more important. Take, for example, the moment when we say “Yes” to our partner to spend our lives together – or the moment before that moment when we say “Yes” to ourselves first. There is genuine intention toward the good at this moment. But those moments do not need to be significant life-changing moments. There are probably countless intentional moments in our daily lives, such as holding the door for a stranger, giving a smile to the store clerk, or allowing a car to merge in front of us. During those initial moments, the outcomes are yet unknown. But the intention toward the good is a holy moment in itself, regardless of the outcomes. This is a new and exciting way for me to think about Christmas.

To me, the Christmas season is a holy moment not because of the ultimate resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Christmas is holy because of God’s intention, through the conception of Jesus, to show God’s love and a desire for a personal relationship. This is love and holy all by itself, and it seems to tell us something about God and the desire God has to be close to each of us. In the same way, the outcomes of our actions, although important, should not overshadow the love we offer to others with our initial intentions. Maybe this is why the Christmas season is filled with such joy and excitement – it is a demonstration of love intentionality par excellence!