Preparing To Receive Christ This Christmas

 Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in My Name,

receives Me.

And whosoever shall receive Me,

receives not Me,

but Him that sent Me. Mark 9:37

As we begin preparing our hearts and our lives to receive the Christ-child at Christmas, we are often preparing our homes to receive other guests to celebrate with us. We may have to clear up that pile of papers that’s overwhelmed the living room or find somewhere to hide all the stuff that has accumulated in the not-so-spare room! Even if no guests are coming, putting up the Christmas decorations makes us feel we should at least make some symbolic act of tidying or cleaning. Meanwhile, we might also be trying to buy presents for our loved ones, that terrible battle between making Christmas all about material goods and genuinely wanting to remember those we care about with something special at this time. For some, those times in life have faded into the past and Christmas may now feel like quite a lonely time. Yet for all of us, underneath all the worldly chores, there remains a real call to encounter Christ made vulnerable, Christ made man and Christ made child, in the care of Mary and Joseph and to prepare our hearts to meet Him and discover the real meaning of Christmas once more.

In the birth of every human baby, Christ comes again in a particular way. Although it is when we are baptised that we most carry the image of Christ upon our soul, each child is willed by God, created by Him to know, love and serve Him in this life and to be happy with Him for eternity in the next. No matter the circumstances of any child’s conception, we can be certain that we are doing God’s will when we welcome one of these little one’s for His sake. One profound way to prepare ourselves for Christmas is to give sacrificially so that others can live. Remembering Our Lord’s words that “Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in My Name, receives Me. And whosoever shall receive Me, receives not Me, but Him that sent Me.” we can participate in receiving Our Lord and God the Father, simply by welcoming a little child in His Name.

As St Teresa said, 'The child must be someone very special if God Himself became a child'. Please help us to welcome and care for the expectant Mothers and, later, their children, who approach us for help in 2026. Every donation helps us to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables. In particular, regular donations allow us to commit to ongoing support for Mothers who may otherwise consider abortion. If you can help us this Christmas, please see below for ways to donate. If you can help us with a regular donation, please consider setting up a standing order/regular payment from your bank. You can download a standing order form on our website, ask us to post you one, or you can set up a regular payment online via online banking. You can cancel or amend this at any time via your bank.

May the Christ Child and His Mother make their home with you this Christmas, and may the peace of Christ be with you, your family & friends this Christmas and throughout 2026.

WAYS TO DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR LIFE SAVING WORK

Donate by Bank Transfer to: The Guild of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Sort Code: 40-06-30         Account Number: 13994678

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