The birth of Christ is a special time in the Church’s calendar. It is a joyful event that marks the beginning of our salvation.

From the manger in Bethlehem Jesus teaches us many lessons. In this meditation we consider the lesson of detachment from material things and comforts, which abound especially at Christmas but throughout the year as well. We consider that:

• Jesus wants us to be happy but we will not find true happiness in material things
• We were made for God and will be truly happy when our heart rests in him
• Jesus teaches us much about detachment in the Sermon on the Mount
• Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si teaches us how to be happy with a simpler way of life
• St Teresa of Calcutta shows us how detachment from goods is freedom
• We can follow some very practical suggestions to find the happiness we seek