Here’s a guided meditation by Paramahansa Yogananda. Perhaps, if you are celebrating Christmas this year in a non-traditional way, you will find this inspiring.
Meditation for Christmas Eve
Lift your eyes and concentrate within. Behold the astral star of divine wisdom and let the wise thought in you follow that telescopic star to behold the Christ everywhere.
In that land of everlasting Christmas, of festive, omnipresent Christ Consciousness, you will find Jesus, Krishna, the saints of all religions, the great guru-preceptors waiting to give you a divine floral reception and everlasting happiness.
Prepare for the coming of baby Christ by decorating an inner Christmas Tree. Around that sacred tree lay gifts of calmness, forgiveness, nobility, service, kindness, spiritual understanding, and devotion, each one wrapped in a golden covering of goodwill and bound with a silver cord of your pure sincerity.
May the Lord, on the Christmas morn of your spiritual awakening, unwrap the gorgeous presents of your heart offerings sealed with tears of your joy and bound with cords of your eternal fidelity to Him.
He accepts only the gifts of sacred sound qualities. His acceptance will be His greatest gifts to you; for it means that, in return, the gift He will bestow on you shall be nothing less than Himself. In giving Himself, He shall make your heart big enough to hold Him. Your heart shall throb with Christ in everything.
Enjoy this festivity, the birth of Christ, in your mind and soul and in every living atom. By daily meditation you will prepare the cradle of your consciousness to hold the infinite baby Christ. Every day will become a true Christmas of divine communion.
posted December 24, 2005 at 8:05 am
Thank you! Earlier this evening I was talking with a friend in a crisis and meditating on how I, a loving woman but alone, could presume to give advice that might save the marriages of my friend and one of my 3 sons. I mostly just listen well and share the story of my love (which never came close to marriage). I urge them to treasure the positive, nuture the joy – not nurse the hurt. I remember how difficult that was when our 7 year relationship was ended by him. However it hurt, I enjoyed the time we were together – when I felt loved – although the word was never spoken by him. I knew from the beginning that he was one of those who went from person to person, so when I felt that he was the one, all I wanted, I didn’t ask the same of him. It was Christmas Eve of 1989 when he chose another to spend the night. I went to AA meetings (although a tea tote-a-ler), adult children of A (which applied), co-dependents,and stranger meetings just to help myself over the lump in my throat, but when I talked, I shared the good times and my gratitude that we had 7 years together (not living together, but sharing heart). I am faithful still, can’t even work up a heavy sigh for anyone else, but joke that even though I last had sex in 1989, at least it ended on a high note that I can still remember how to sing. The gifts of love we give can keep out hearts open to hope. “…calmness, forgiveness, nobility, service, kindness, spiritual understanding, and devotion, each one wrapped in a golden covering of godwill and bound with a silver cord for …pure sincerity” are all facets of that gift of love. Anger, jealousy, mean-ness, fear and infidelity are just yesterday’s garbage. Let’s all just choose to throw the nasty stuff away, don’t let that awful stink follow you through life or muck up your marriage. Acceptance means taking responsibility for your own feelings, actions, and happiness. Friends, spouses, lovers, and family all come and go in our lives, but we live with ourselves forever. We can each be a force of one for good in the world, so don’t let that lump in your throat obstruct the sweet retch of joy!>