We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas with joy and freshness this year; we will do the same next year and the year after that, we will always celebrate Christmas.
We should ignore all the complaints about Christmas: that Christmas is either is too commercialised, that people have lost the true meaning of Christmas, that children don't even know who Jesus is. These complaints are accurate and truthful.
At the same time we will celebrate the religious feast of Christmas because we honour the presence of God among us, Jesus who became human like us, for our sake, God's initiative, in order that we might become 'people of destiny'.
What does that mean? It means that we were made, born, came into the world knowing that when we die we will be with God. This is our destiny, it is mind boggling. We believe it is true for all peoples, for people of religion or no religion. We know what to expect when we die, for others it will be a surprise, a very pleasant one.
Christian faith is a wonderful gift which is rooted in our lived experience. We are fortunate to connect with our God in Jesus Christ in very human terms that we can understand. We read the New Testament in which the Gospels relate what Jesus said about life with Him, the promises He made us, the new life He gave to people, especially those from whom He would derive no benefit except their thanks. Yet astonishingly, He made enemies through those very acts of mercy.
St Paul who is a hugely influential figure in the New Testament became a follower of Jesus in an extraordinary manner. In his Epistles we read what he thinks life with Christ will be like for us as people and what it meant for him.
That God became one of us is a stumbling block for many people in the world. Nevertheless, we celebrate the beginning of that extraordinary and unique event every Christmas. It means that God is very near to us, especially when we are baptised and become 'children of God' in the special sense that the Sacrament of Baptism bestows. The celebration of the Eucharist brings us closer to our God and is made possible by the surprising and wonderful event we call the Resurrection of Jesus.
My words are upbeat as Christmas is a time for positive feelings, but we know only too well the darkness that shadowed this bright event. The Gospels relate that Jesus was born in a stable, there was no room at the inn. Today we know there is no room in the world for millions of people seeking a better life. Part of our human condition is that we are both merciful and merciless. We both admire and fear the inner authority of people like Jesus Christ and St Paul, because they have the power to change us, to challenge us to be merciful rather than merciless.
During this Advent Season, let us prepare to welcome the God who became one among us.
May you have a blessed Christmas, giving thanks to our great God for the gifts we receive.
Fr Gary Walker
director@columban.org.au
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LISTEN TO: From the Director - God became one of us (Duration: 4.36mins, MP3, 2.10MB) |