When a new child is born into a family, excitement fills the home. Parents smile, siblings gather around the crib, and everyone wants to see the little one. There is joy in welcoming someone who belongs to the family. A newborn changes everything. The house feels fuller, and the future seems brighter because a new life has entered the family circle

That excitement points to a far greater joy at Christmas. The child born in Bethlehem is not only the son of Mary and Joseph. He is our brother. By taking on human flesh, Jesus Christ entered our human family. He became one of us so that we might become children of God.