Our cultural traditions dictate pretty much what we will eat for Christmas each year. For those of us growing up in a Puerto Rican family, it is Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Lechon “asao” (roast pork), and of course, the “Piece De Resistance” pasteles puertoriquenos (a kind of tamale made of green bananas stuffed with flavorful meat). Without these three staple dishes, there is no Christmas, at least,...

Christmas is one of the most cherished times of the year! Throughout the world people anticipate its celebration with colorful festivities that take on varied expressions in different cultures. It is a time in which the beautiful sounds of carols soothe our ears and hearts. It is a time in which our eyes are mesmerized by delightful decorations and the gleam of twinkling lights. It is a time in which all kinds of gifts are generously and...

Angels. Some people love them; some couldn't care less about them, yet the Bible is filled with references to them. We find in the Bible that angels, as God’s mighty messengers, play an important role in the Christmas story. They were sent by God to announce Christ’s birth.   Imagine with me for a moment what the angels must have been thinking on that Christmas day… for, from the beginning of time, they watched in...

As we approach Christmas of 2017, my heart is heavy around the recent massacre of 305 Sufi Muslims, worshipping in a mosque, and 26 members of 1st Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, worshipping in church.  I can’t help but be concerned about the state of affairs in the world today. There’s slavery in Libya, terrorism all over the world, and intimidation and threats of nuclear proliferation from North Korea. ...

The Person of Christmas, Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20: But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken to...