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Note: John-Henry and Diane were expecting their 8th child but Diane experienced a miscarriage on Christmas Eve day, her third in the past few years. This story is not as it was originally written given that they were still very joyfully expecting that new child at the time of writing. Please say a prayer for them as they endure their loss.

By John-Henry Westen

December 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Mothers teach us a great deal about love.

Over 2000 years ago a 9-month pregnant mother braved the 70-mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem while facing (if the weather then was similar to today) near freezing temperatures.  Her husband, try as he might, could find no place for his wife to give birth but a stable for animals.

Amidst that suffering came the Light of the World, the Savior, Christ our Lord. 

It has been a long time since we had a baby grace our home.  Our youngest, Lucas, is already four. 

While that may not seem like a long time for some, our usual spacing between children was one and a half years. 

Dianne did conceive twice since the birth of Lucas but both unborn babies were lost to miscarriage. 

One of the Christmas ornaments we just hung on our tree was dedicated to Stephano and has written on it a line from a song which expresses well the sentiment.  It goes, “From the heavens to the womb to the heavens again…. “  So it was for our little Stephano and Bernadette.

My wife has been homeschooling our seven, and putting up with my long working hours (not to mention a couple of trips away a month on average).

Despite the horror of His sufferings, Christ bore them willingly, lovingly. In fact, He longed to suffer them so that we might continue in good spiritual health and be present with Him forever in Heaven.

Fathers play a supporting role in a child’s gestation and birth.

Surely Joseph, the foster-father of Our Lord, did his best to clean and warm the stable prior to the birth of Christ. Like Joseph, let us cleanse the stables of our hearts for the coming of the King of Kings this Christmas.      

Let us beg God to give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new culture of life.

My family and I wish you all a Christmas filled with the Joy of Christ.