Belief comes as a blessing. The angel Gabriel proclaimed a wondrous plan to Mary, chosen to give birth to the Son of God. The angel also said that Mary’s kinswoman Elizabeth, childless into old age, had miraculously conceived a son. When Mary greeted her, Elizabeth felt the exuberant movement of her unborn child (John the Baptist) and called Mary blessed for believing the Lord’s message. Elizabeth’s husband had his doubts at first but later gave their son the name told to him by an angel. On the first Christmas, the night became glorious in the sight of shepherds, who believed angelic tidings of the Savior’s birth. Finding the Christ Child in a manager, they rejoiced because of what they had heard and seen. When we pray with Christmas hope for blessings we want to see, do we also look for surprising gifts that our Savior wants to show us?