“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7).
Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation — the Son of God became completely human while remaining fully divine.
When Christ “made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14), there was no proper dwelling for him. Sometimes, there is no “dwelling” for him in our lives, as sin, busyness and other preoccupations — especially around the holidays — occupy the “inn” of our hearts. The sacrament of penance removes these obstacles so that Christ finds a welcome home.
Confession is an excellent way to prepare for Christmas. Parishes provide extra opportunities to receive the sacrament of reconciliation during Advent by having penance services with multiple priests. In addition to those opportunities, several parishes in Richmond (RVA) will have confessions at 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting the Council of Trent (1545–1563), explains that, “For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation ‘is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation’” (1468).
This teaching is an encouragement to discover, or rediscover, the value of reconciliation at Christmastime, when the Church celebrates the consolation of Christ’s saving presence on Earth.
The Gospel of Luke reports that when the shepherds heard the angel’s proclamation of the Savior’s birth, they dropped everything to go to Bethlehem: “They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (2:16). Receiving the sacrament of penance before Christmas is a way to emulate the shepherds’ gusto — to place God at the center of our lives and encounter Christ among us.