Mary has done the hard work of labor.  Don’t let the nativity scenes fool you.  There was blood, sweat and tears involved.  Joseph will bear witness.  She wouldn’t have wanted to hear our carols then and don’t ask, “Mary, did you know?”

God is with us but before we pack up our holiday cheer, let me stop you.  After we take down our nativity scenes, the work of Christmas is not over.  Howard Thurman shares these words and a fitting reminder today and all days:

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.