And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

The Holy Bible, Luke 2

The illumination of Mary’s spiritual sense put to silence material law and its order of generation, and brought forth her child by the revelation of Truth, demonstrating God as the Father of men. The Holy Ghost, or divine Spirit, overshadowed the pure sense of the Virgin-mother with the full recognition that being is Spirit.

We must forsake the foundation of material systems, however time-honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only Saviour.

Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

A star within

It looks like summer light
is switched off
                  as cold autumn comes.
Oh, but when darkness deepens,
we see the bright stars above!
And there is always a star
showing the presence of Christ,
the light of Life within,
          the reliable light of divine Love
offering
the warmth of a universal affection
anytime, any season.
In such a clear atmosphere,
how can I not burst with prayer
to reach the heights of a life 
reflecting God’s vital care?

Béatrice Labarthe
Christian Science Sentinel, December 9, 2024
A star within

The Christmas story is filled with testaments to the spiritual courage that we need.
Mary had the quiet strength that kept her devoted to serving God, devoted to a more spiritual sense of life than the world offered. She was willing to believe and prepare for something revolutionary—conceiving and bearing the Bethlehem babe as a virgin—which went totally against human reasoning and material “laws.” Joseph found the willingness to support this right idea, and later to heed an angel’s warning to flee from Herod to protect the baby. 

All of this enabled the advent of Jesus of Nazareth, which blessed and changed the world. Today we need to build on those changes by also having the courage to go against worldly thinking and serve God, by recognizing divine Spirit as the origin and Life of all. This results in lives more filled with God’s good qualities and the healing that these qualities bring about in our bodies and our entire experience. 

Christmas and courage
Curtis Wahlberg, The Christian Science Journal, December 2024
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A village humble, still,
A guiding star above,
A shepherd watching on a hill,
A mother-heart of love—
A child is born of grace,
Brings peace to all the earth,
While angels sing their joyous praise,
And glorify his birth.

The shepherds brought their faith,
The Wisemen offered gold
And costly frankincense and myrrh;
Each brought his gift of old.
What shall we give today?
A thing of worldly worth?
Or hearts attuned to angel songs—
The gift of our new birth?

Christian Science Hymnal, Hymn 434

I celebrate Christmas with my soul, my spiritual sense, and so commemorate the entrance into human understanding of the Christ conceived of Spirit, of God and not of a woman — as the birth of Truth, the dawn of divine Love breaking upon the gloom of matter and evil with the glory of infinite being.

Mary Baker Eddy, What Christmas Means to Me

What Christmas Means To Me
and Other Christmas Messages

This collection of writings shares Mary Baker Eddy’s Christmas inspiration through letters, articles, sermons, poetry, and messages to churches. Considered together with the account of Jesus’ birth from the Biblical gospels of Matthew and Luke, this inspiring collection highlights the spiritual power of Christmas to bring healing and light to humanity.
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