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“Dear Lord, Thou knowest my weakness. Each morning I resolve to be humble, and in the evening I recognize that I have often been guilty of pride. The sight of these faults tempts me to discouragement; yet I know that discouragement is itself but a form of pride. I wish, therefore, O my God, to build all my trust upon Thee. As Thou canst do all things, deign to implant in my soul this virtue which I desire, and to obtain it from Thy Infinite Mercy, I will often say to Thee: ‘Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine.’”

Often, the desire to reach out to others begins in our home. Gospel values need to be incorporated into day-to-day family life as much as they need to be lived out by God’s larger family. The simplicity needed to appreciate God’s love helps us appreciate how our immediate families connect with God’s larger family. All earthly families merge and find their common identity in God.

The circumstances surrounding Jesus’s birth into an imperfect world contain implications for contemporary families. God is present to all kinds of people—abandoned spouses and children, families who leave their countries because of political or economic turmoil, the poor, the wealthy, non‑Christians, and Christians alike, people living in poverty, unwed mothers and fathers, or those suffering the anguish of separation and divorce.