Welcome to Our Daily Bread.

I'm Sheridan Boise and I've called today's reading The Day After Christmas.

After all the joy of Christmas day, the following day felt like a letdown.

We'd stayed overnight with friends but hadn't slept

well. Then our car broke down as we were driving home. Then it started to snow. We had abandoned

the car and taxied home in the snow and sleet, feeling blah. We're not the only ones who felt

low after Christmas Day. Whether it's from excessive eating, the way carols suddenly disappear from the radio,

or the fact that the gifts we bought last week are now on sale half price,

the magic of Christmas Day can quickly dissipate.

The Bible never tells us about the day after Jesus' birth,

but we can imagine that after walking to Bethlehem, scrambling for accommodation,

Mary's pain in giving birth, and having shepherds drop by unannounced,

Mary and Joseph were exhausted.

Yet as Mary cradled her newborn, I can imagine her reflecting on her angelic visitation, Elizabeth's blessing,

and her own realization of her baby's destiny. Mary pondered such things in her heart,

which must have lightened the tiredness and physical pain of that day. We'll all have

Blah days, perhaps even the day after Christmas.

Like Mary, let's face them by pondering the one who came into our world, forever brightening

it with his presence.

Today's scripture reading is from Luke chapter 2, verses 15 to 20.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

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