To keep Jesus at the heart of your Christmas celebrations, LHM is again offering Advent devotions in English and Spanish. In English, Born to You … a Savior speaks to God’s rich mercy in supplying His only Son—in the flesh—to us for our salvation. They are written by Dr. Kari Vo. In Spanish, Luz en medio de las Tinieblas (“Light in the Midst of Darkness”) reminds us that Christ our Savior comes to us shining as the light of the nations. Authors are Reverends Germán Novelli, Lincon Guerra, Laerte Tardelli Voss, Luciano Vega, Rev. Dr. Leopoldo Sánchez, and Deaconess Noemí Guerra.
Christmastime is the busiest time of year for Dr. Vo’s family (who also shepherd a Vietnamese church in St. Louis). Her advice for keeping Christ central in your Christmas activities is to keep your prayers plain and simple. “If you think you’re losing sight of the main focus of Christmas, we don’t have to do it on our own. We can say: ‘Lord, I’m afraid I’m forgetting You. Please help me!’ and He will.
“Now, of course, prayer always works, but at Christmas time in particular it’s helpful because there are so many things (shopping, family events, baking, etc.) that demand our attention. My family tends to have a built-in protection against getting distracted by ‘stuff’ that isn’t Jesus due to our church responsibilities. But it helps to have a time—and a place—set aside for praying, even the simplest prayer. I have a rocking chair and a place where I go; then I shut the door to pray. It’s very effective,” Vo says.
Keeping Christ’s light bright in our hearts during Christmas can be difficult “in a world darkened by sin, challenges, hurtful actions, illness, conflict, and attitudes that destroy us,” says Novelli, LHM’s Hispanic Ministry director. “This is when Jesus comes to us shining as the light of the nations. He is the Word of life who became a human and came into the world to save mankind. Even walking in the darkness, Christians find in Jesus’ words a lamp unto our feet that illuminates our paths and leads us to a quieter journey. Advent is a wonderful season to let God’s light make our hearts and lives brighter,” he adds.
Both versions will run from Sunday, November 30, 2025, through Epiphany on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. You can find them online at lhm.org/advent and paraelcamino.com/adviento.