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God in Our Midst

December 15, 2025

(PeopleImages / Shutterstock.com)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” — John 1:14

The season of Advent invites us to slow down, look a little closer, and reflect on the many ways God shows up today in our world. Christmas isn’t about grandeur or perfection—it’s about the miracle of God choosing to be with us in our perfect imperfections. His entrance into the world was not a glamorous royal event. Instead of pomp and circumstance, He was born in a humble stable, surrounded by His parents, lowly shepherds, and barn animals. He arrived  among the most vulnerable on that silent night in Bethlehem, reminding us that God is with us—and shares fully in our vulnerable humanity through the Incarnation. During the first weekend of December, two celebrations—half a world apart—brought that message to life in very meaningful ways.

In Rome, the Vatican held its annual Christmas Concert for the Poor, a tradition started by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo. Our Holy Fatherʻs intention was to honor the dignity of  vulnerable people by treating them to a night of music and unity. More than 3,000 guests, many experiencing homelessness or poverty, came together––not as “cases” or “numbers,” but as honored guests, serenaded by talented world-renowned singers, the Diocese of Rome Choir, and the Nova Opera Orchestra. Pope Leo made sure the meaning of the night was clear. He reminded everyone that this was not a beautiful musical event meant to soothe our conscience, but a vital Gospel encounter—an act of love and mercy. Quoting Christ’s own words, he said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Then Pope Leo continued: “If we concretely love those who are hungry and thirsty, those without clothing, the sick, the stranger, the prisoner, we are loving the Lord. This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, God continues to speak to us.” The Pope emphasized to the crowd that human worth is beyond wealth or success: “The dignity of men and women is not measured by what they possess. We are not our goods and belongings, but rather children loved by God.” Christmas, he said, invites us to live as one family, “and this same love must be the measure of our actions toward our neighbor.” That is what we truly celebrate when Christ is born into our world: a love that recognizes each person as sister or brother.

Here in Hawai‘i, another celebration carried that same spirit of  God with us in incarnated love. At the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), families gathered for the annual Starlight-Starbright ‘Ohana Christmas—a day that breaks through walls separating incarcerated mothers and their children. Nearly 200 people came together—many traveling from other islands—to spend precious hours laughing, crying, and reconnecting. Volunteers greeted families from neigbhoring islands at the airport, cooked and served breakfast at St. George Parish, and raised funds so that ‘ohanas could celebrate Christmas together. A former WCCC resident, now running her own catering business, prepared an ono local-style meal filled with aloha. An animal puppet show shared a joyful story called “The Greatest Gift of All”-- Jesus, who came to share our humanity completely.

One kūpuna, incarcerated for more than a decade, said through tears that meeting her grandchild for the very first time was the greatest Christmas gift she could ever receive. What a beautiful example of how Emmanuel, God with us, shows up in the most marginalized places. If God can be found in the tiny spaces of a dirt-poor stable—or within the razor-sharp fences of a prison—then He can find space within all of us, especially in our most vulnerable hearts.

By sharing time, talent, and treasure in the Star-light Star-bright ‘Ohana Christmas celebration, our parish social ministry volunteers recognized the dignity of women and families affected by incarceration—those inside and those holding life together on the outside. They are a living witness to Jesus, demonstrating the island belief: ʻOhana means family, and family means no one is left behind. In essence, this is the heart of the Christmas message. The stable of Bethlehem tells us that no place is too humble, too wounded, or too small for God to be with all of us.

May we dare to see the vulnerable in our midst as the Holy Family in disguise. May we discover Christ in the vulnerable poor, the prisoner, the refugee, the unhoused neighbor, the child missing a parent, the family struggling to stay whole. And may we respond with the tenderness and courage of sharing love, our greatest gift. And when we draw near to one another, we reveal the One, the Word made flesh to dwell among us, who at birth was laid in a manger and reaches out to be welcomed into our hearts and bring hope, peace and joy to the whole world. Mahalo.