Our Works of Charity / David Bethuram

May this Christmas be a time for the lost ones to find their way home

Christmas arrives each year, inviting weary souls in from the cold.

Like fragile sparrows trembling on bare winter branches, many live surrounded by heartbreak, disappointment and loneliness—haunted by shame, guilt or failure. One blustery day follows another, and their only companions are fellow strugglers perched on the same desolate limbs, confused and unprotected.

We try so hard to draw them into warmth. Week after week, church bells ring, choirs lift their voices, and glowing sanctuaries shine like beacons. Yet those who need comfort most often remain outside.

During the Christmas season, poverty places a heavy burden on low-income families, who often struggle to afford not only gifts and festive meals but even basic necessities as costs continue to rise. This financial strain forces difficult choices that can take a toll on mental health and well-being during what should be a joyful time of year. Thankfully, Catholic Charities and our Catholic parishes extend a helping hand through food pantries and other vital services, offering families in need essential nourishment and gifts to bring comfort and hope to the holiday season.

Then, as the year closes, Christmas speaks its timeless message: Emmanuel. God with us. The One who dwelt in heaven—co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit—chose to descend into our world. He breathed our air, carried our pain, shared our sorrows and bore our sins. He came not to terrify, but to lead us into safety and warmth.

Still, many keep their distance. It was so when he first came, and it remains so today.

Yet Christmas returns—again and again. The story of Bethlehem’s child is told once more. We sing familiar carols, kneel at the manger, watch Mary and Joseph cradle their newborn and marvel as if for the first time. It never grows old.

Why? Because each of us knows what it is to shiver on the frozen branches of this world—rejected, wounded, afraid. Each of us remembers the moment we finally flew into the shelter of his love. And each year, we hope that perhaps, just perhaps, this Christmas will be the one when someone we love finds their way in from the cold.

For many, though, Christmas is the loneliest season. Families separated by prison walls. Single parents. The elderly. The hospitalized and the dying, along with those who care for them. Soldiers far from home. Adults are scarred by painful childhood memories. The newly widowed. Students who are unable to return home.

For others, the season becomes a hollow pursuit of greed and frenzy. Gift-buying spirals out of control, turning joy into financial strain and frustration. Instead of slowing down to savor the lights, the music, and quiet moments with loved ones, we rush headlong into the chaos, letting it eclipse the meaning.

And yet, for some, Christmas is the only time they hear the name of Jesus. Carols carry profound theology. Pageants, readings and services proclaim the Incarnation. Even Christmas cards, opened by those who might never otherwise consider the Gospel, whisper the story of his coming.

So, this year, I pray the warmth of the Savior’s love will rest upon you in new and deeper ways. And may you remember that there are still sparrows trembling in the cold—too frightened to fly toward the light and the warmth.

Perhaps, because of something you say or do, this Christmas will be the one when they finally find their way home.
 

(David Bethuram is executive director of the archdiocesan Secretariat for Catholic Charities. You can contact him at dbethuram@archindy.org.) †