Merry Christmas!
Unto us a Savior is born – Alleluia!
None of us will miss 2020; it has been a horrible, terrible, awful year: the plague, the fear, illnesses & deaths, the quarantines (Church, businesses, schools, and family), the masks, the economic uncertainty and decline, election anxiety and upset, my broken leg J, etc. For these reasons, Christmas this year stands out in stark relief, bringing hope for a return to normal, civility, and even love; even if we can’t spend it with family in the ways we are used to. Like the light at the end of a tunnel, Christmas this year seems to signal hope. Hope that the dark days of 2020 are fading into a brighter 2021, even if 2021 isn’t better, we still have hope and the joy it brings because hope is about Jesus Christ. We hope for a safe and effective vaccine, we hope for economic prosperity, yet none of that matters if there isn’t Jesus Christ. True hope comes from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and His Ascension into heaven. Without those two things, there is no hope in a better tomorrow. But first Jesus had to come into the world, and while none of us have experienced our own resurrection and ascension, we have experienced coming into this world and so we can relate.
At this moment, think back to that first Christmas with the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary & Joseph), how exciting it must have been for them: the joy and promise of having a baby, but not just any baby, knowing that the baby is the Messiah – the Redeemer of the human race; that God was so close to them and favored them so much. Think of all the miracles that God was working for them: Elizabeth conceiving in old age, angels appearing first to Mary and then to Joseph, God becoming flesh in Mary’s virgin womb (incarnation), Elizabeth confirming Mary’s unique salvific role when her baby leaps in her womb, finding lodging in Bethlehem when none was available, the virgin birth, the angels appearing to the shepherds, the arrival of three Kings confirming the greatness of the child (I’m sure that gold helped too), Simeon & Anna’s testimony in the temple about the baby’s destiny, Mary & Joseph’s hiddenness from Satan and Herod when he ordered the death of all the baby boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem, the Holy Family fleeing safely into Egypt, and many other miracles that we are not aware of. These are the things that make Christmas so special for us today, or at least they should.
Popular culture calls this holy day a “holiday”, and advertisers say it is about gift giving; but what is the name of this holiday, and what is its reason? This holy day is called Christmas, or “Christ-Mass.” It is about Jesus – God with us. And because it’s about celebrating with Jesus, and not stuff, or even family per-se; we can rejoice regardless of our material or family situation. Because God loves us so much, He sent His only Son into the world to be with us and redeem us; even a lonely prisoner with no gifts or family can have great peace and joy at Christmas. The same is true for all of us.
Think of all that we can be grateful for this Christmas: our life, our baptism, what Jesus did for us on Calvary, the Church, the sacraments, what the saints have done for us and still do for us from heaven, our guardian angel, our parents, our family and friends, those who love us, our education, our health, our income, the roof over our heads, the country that we live in (still better than most), our spouse, our children, eternal life in heaven – the list goes on. Thank God for all of it.
As little children most of us had a magical joy and wholeness at Christmas. Perhaps it wasn’t about Jesus at that time in our lives, yet we can reclaim that joy and wholeness now by turning to Jesus and a life of faith and virtue. If we were to focus this Christmas on Jesus Christ (the Christmas season lasts over two weeks starting on Christmas day), what would God have in store for us? Instead of focusing on everything but God, let us turn our gaze to Jesus; and like Mary and Joseph, allow him to grace us with His many wondrous and hidden miracles. Throughout the coming year, let us do the hard work of drawing closer to Jesus, and in return, be blessed with Our Lord’s love, joy, and peace.
May the Blessing of the Infant King be Upon You,
Fr. Thomas Nathe
