My favorite holiday movie is “The Preacher’s Wife.”

I’ve probably seen it six or seven times since the movie came out in 1996. On two or three occasions years ago, I had pre-Christmas showings for members of the middle school youth group that I led at my church.

Whitney Houston played the role of Julia Biggs, the preacher’s wife. Courtney B. Vance was her husband, the Rev. Henry Biggs. Gregory Hines played developer Joe Hamilton, who grew up in the church but wanted to take a wrecking ball to it for a new development. And Denzel Washington was the angel Dudley, who came down to try to help guide the church and the Biggs family through their troubles.

Last night on CNN, I watched the tributes to Houston, who died Saturday at age 48, and heard her beautiful “I Will Always Love You” at least three times. I then went online and found You Tube videos from “The Preacher’s Wife.”

Whitney Houston’s musical career started at a young age in the New Hope Baptist Church choir in Newark, N.J. She is right at home in the joyful scenes near the end of “The Preacher’s Wife.” During a Christmas pageant, Houston steps in gracefully for a little girl who refuses to sing “Who Would Imagine a King.” Later, backed by a gospel choir, she sings “I Love the Lord,” leading into my favorite version of “Joy to the World.”

This is the Whitney Houston I want to remember — the beautiful lady with the angelic voice who brought tears to my eyes last night.