About two weeks before Christmas a college student told me how stressed he was with semester exams, a troubled relationship with his girlfriend and worries about returning to a home where he was at odds with his parents. At the same time, he wanted to get in touch with the spiritual side of Christmas.

The young man concluded, "It's just the wrong time for Christmas to take place." He wanted to observe Christmas when he could be free from other pressures and turmoil.

Perhaps many feel they could celebrate Christmas better at another time --- a time unencumbered by all the other challenges of this time of year. Frankly, celebrating at another time of year will not likely happen. More significantly, trying to find a quiet, hassle-free time to celebrate Christmas might also cause us to miss the fuller message of this event.

Christ was born during a time and in a place of uncertainty and tumult. It is precisely in that context that his birth can be understood best. Just as Jesus was born in a nation that was oppressed and into a people who felt helpless, observing the anniversary of his birth still brings hope to those who feel overwhelmed.

Without doubt, it would be nice to approach Christmas without wars or terrorism, without divided families or people grieving someone's death. Nonetheless, those situations should make the significance of Christ's coming all the more important.

Christmas is not merely a time to recall that Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago. People today continue to encounter the Lord as they face daily struggles. Often Jesus is found in the midst of pain and difficulty.

I recall being called to the hospital in the afternoon one Dec. 24. With evening Masses looming before me, I could have used the time in other ways. As I walked down a corridor, I ran into a parishioner who greeted me kindly. When I asked if one of her relatives was ill, she said no. As a hospital volunteer she always went in on Christmas Eve to make sure that everyone had a visitor.

As I continued walking down the hall, I suddenly felt blessed being able to be with one patient who needed my presence. Being with a sick person was a good way to get ready for Christmas Mass.

Another time I recall telling my family I would be late for Christmas dinner. Several parishioners and I were going first to the county jail to celebrate Mass with some inmates. With Larry playing his guitar and Joe assisting in the singing, the men in the jail started to cry in joy. The Mass was moving; I knew that Jesus was fully present there.

What Christmas allows is an opportunity to see Christ living on this earth, a mystery that continues to unfold throughout the year. The incarnation means that God is joined to humanity and has entered into both the good and bad of human experience.

A woman said that she comes to church each week not to escape the world, but to find a way to bring Christ into the world. In her work in the maternity wing of a hospital, she often sees parents rejoicing at the birth of their long-awaited children. Sadly, she also sees some parents grieving still-born babies; she sees infants who are at great risk. As a nurse, she constantly wants to remind herself that Christ is present. Many times she is able to share that conviction with parents during both the happy and sorrowful times.

Christ has entered the world and continues to share people's lives.

I met a woman in Haiti who runs a house for children with profound physical and mental disabilities. Many of these children have been abandoned. One little boy, David, was brought to her after he was found lying in a pile of trash.

No one knows David's age or even his real name. David was the name given to him at the house. He is physically very limited and usually lies on a little mat. As I held David on my lap, I found I could get a little response from him as I rubbed his stomach. What appeared to be a slight smile on his face was an expression of the kindness felt in that home.

After spending time with the children, our group celebrated Mass in the yard with both the workers and the residents. The children couldn't respond and likely did not know what was happening, but having them there for the Eucharist was a statement of solidarity. The Lord was present in their home sacramentally as well as in the goodness of the love of all those who took care of them.

The mystery of Christmas is truly about the Lord's presence throughout the year and in every part of the world. Through Jesus' birth, hope and joy are brought to each situation.

Even hectic and confusing times are the right time to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Father Herbert Weber is the founding pastor of Blessed John XXIII Parish, Perrysburg, Ohio.