Even the most faithful users of Advent devotionals can find themselves forgetting the readings for Christmas and the days after as routines change with the holiday break. The wonder of the Christmas event itself can get lost in the celebration. The Peace of Christmas offers an opportunity to reflect with Pope Francis on the many moods and challenges of one of the central realities of our faith: Our God became one of us, came to dwell in our midst, and began life as we all do, as a tiny baby, needy and vulnerable and dependent on the people around him for his very survival. 

Through the pope’s insights and reflections, you will be comforted and challenged, enlightened and reassured. He knows that Christmas is many things to many people, often changing with the times and circumstances, with your experiences in the months since last Christmas. Just as God chose to become one of us, so our lives are shaped and changed by the world around us. 

While the book is divided into daily reflections, it’s more a book for browsing than marching through day by day. Keep it someplace handy, pick it up when you have a few minutes of quiet. Turn to its pages when you feel frustrated with the hectic pace of preparations or when you feel suddenly struck by the wonder and beauty of this season. Let the words of Scripture and the words of Pope Francis move you to a new appreciation of the incarnation.