A Christmas Eve Reflection

by Cristóbal Jiménez Priego

On Christmas Eve, during the 9:00 pm Mass, I heard a homily that reached me in a very personal way.

The message was simple:

God keeps His promises.

God has something prepared for each one of us.

And very often, we only discover it when we are willing to open our hearts in silence.

That night, I felt clearly that God was speaking to me by name.

Not as an idea.

But as a living God, present on the altar.

I realized that without a real relationship with Him, there can be no true encounter with Jesus Christ.

The priest shared a story inspired by a real-life event.

Before a devastating earthquake, a father made a promise to his young son:

“No matter what happens, I will always be there for you.”

Some time later, the earthquake struck. Buildings collapsed. The boy’s school was reduced to rubble.

Parents arrived. Many searched, cried, prayed… and eventually left

But the father stayed.

Holding on to the promise he had made, he began digging through the rubble with his bare hands. He had no tools. Only his hands.

Hour after hour passed.

His hands were injured cut open and bleeding.

People told him there was no hope.

He kept digging.

For 38 hours, he did not leave.

Then he heard a voice from beneath the rubble:

“Dad!”

He found his son alive. When the boy was later asked how he endured for so long, he answered simply:

“I knew my dad would come, because my dad always keeps his promises.”

That story stayed with me because it reflects how life feels right now.

Things do not turn out the way I expect.

Opportunities do not appear.

There is procrastination.

There is the tendency to offer solutions when they are not asked for.

There is uncertainty, especially due to the lack of opportunities at work.

And yet, the homily brought me back to a promise I needed to hear again:

“Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
— Isaiah 41:10

Fear shows up quietly.

And I am reminded that I am called to avoid fear, to serve, and to do the things that need to be done the day they are meant to be done.

Christmas reminds me that we do not believe in a distant God.

We celebrate a living God, present even when things go wrong.

This reflection is not about having everything resolved.

It is about trust.

Even when all I see is rubble,

God keeps His promises

✠ Ad maiorem Dei gloriam ✠

Cristóbal Jiménez Priego

Agape Real Estate Group · Houston, TX