Thankfulness Through the Holiday Season: God Calls Us to Prayer and His Presence

The season of holidays and celebrations is upon us. It’s a time full of excitement, busyness, and joy. Much of this cheer is relating to those around us — gathering with family that we only see at holidays, or taking part in various events and activities, like work parties.

Last year at this time, we mourned the fact that due to COVID, things looked different. Gatherings and parties were canceled, celebrations with family were limited, and the health, wellness, and concern for others were at the forefront of our thoughts and plans. It was difficult, but it was bearable because it was necessary to keep others safe and healthy, and at the time, we believed it was only temporary.

But a year later, we have reached this season and it feels a little different. We are realizing that it has been nearly two years since this began and it makes it harder to bear as it weighs on us that things have changed. Life within our communities and families is different.

However, we must keep in mind that we are called to be a people of hope. Thanksgiving is a time during which we are reminded to stop and be thankful for what we have. The Advent and Christmas season is a time of joy as we celebrate the birth of Christ, and it is a reminder of the hope we have in the second coming of Christ.

Angela Vivar is the Coordinator of Hispanic Outreach Ministries at St. Francis Xavier Church — her outlook on maintaining that hope and remaining thankful through this season is one from which we can all learn.

“We have to stay thankful and keep things in perspective through this holiday season by cherishing what we do have,” she says.

Angela shares how her relationship with God and her prayer life is something that roots her perspective during these times. continued on page 5

“I am thankful that God is so attentive and He thinks before I do,” she says. “He calls me into prayer before I know that I need it. I am thankful that He is persistent even when I am not responsive.”

Angela refers to the Bible passage from Jeremiah as a foundation for her trust in the power of prayer: “When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me… and I will change your lot” (Jeremiah 29:13-14). This is a gentle reminder of the importance of being near to Him, especially when many of us cannot be near our family and friends during this holiday season.

“During the holidays, we would go visit our family in Mexico every few years — and right now, that isn’t even an option,” Angela shares. “Our gatherings will be small. Just my mom, brother, and my niece.”

As we look to this holiday season that once again looks different than what we had hoped, Angela reminds us that even though our loved ones may not be physically near to us, we need to remember that the nearness of God is constant.

“Every year, I see pictures of large families in matching pajamas around Christmastime, and I think that’s beautiful,” she says. “I hope that they love and cherish that they have that. We need more of that in the world. There are other families and people who spend the holidays alone or in a smaller setting, and I think it’s important to remember that Jesus cares, and He sees us and accompanies us. If we sit in silence long enough and if we open the Bible to passages like Psalm 139, Isaiah 43 and 53, or the Gospels, we can see that He knows how we feel.”

Angela goes on to share her experiences with hardship and loss around the holidays.

“I remember the Christmas before my dad passed away, and the holidays were very difficult because of the severity and location of his cancer and constant treatments and hospital visits,” she says. “As I sat alone in the living room facing the lit-up Christmas tree, and began to feel God’s presence next to me. It was so heavy in the room and I knew He was sitting adjacent to me. All that was left was seeing

Him. I knew at that moment that He felt deeply what I was feeling — what my family and my dad were feeling. He is always sitting there next to us, and it’s kind of up to us whether we acknowledge it and allow His comfort in — something I’m working on. I would say to perhaps try what I struggle with, and that’s to accept God’s comfort. He is ready to give it and it is incomparable.”

As we head into the holiday season, let us remember to root ourselves in God’s love and keep our hearts thankful for the blessings we have.

Angela Vivar with her family — brother Ryan; father Hector (deceased); mother, Concepcion