LOVE, JOY, PEACE, GRACE AND LIFE
The beautiful themes of Christmas are love, joy, peace, grace and life. It reveals to us that: God is love 1 John 4: 8, 16. It is assured of the joy of the Lord that is our strength and fullness Nehemiah 8:10 and John 15:11.
The solemnity of Christmas also invites us to reflect on the theme of peace. The child to be born, the saviour of the world is the prince of peace Isaiah 9:6. It is the dawn of new and everlasting grace through the mercy of God, John 1:16. Ultimately, Christmas gives us life and renew hope John 10:10.
THE IMAGE OF THE INFANT JESUS: GOD AND MAN
One of my favourite mental images of the biblical text is that of God: the infant Jesus lying innocently, vulnerably and helpless in the manger. God Jesus receiving assistance from humans: Joseph and Mary. Yet adore and worship by Hosts of Angels, Shepherds and Magi.
This image encourages us to embrace our humanity while anticipating our divinity. It is an image that makes us seek and find God in the little insignificant of our daily lives.
The all-powerful, all-mighty, and all-knowing God as an infant baby invites us to let go of our control of things in and around our lives. Sometimes, we must learn to be vulnerable and helpless to feel God’s providence and protection over us.
The image challenges our sense of trust and confidence in God and others. It is a point we all are afraid to embrace or admit to our defenceless and dependence on God and others in many life situations.
WHAT CHRISTMAS IS AND NOT
Yes, we celebrate Christmas every year with grand style and feasting but sadly with little or no spiritual connection to the One whom we supposedly are celebrating!
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it found in food, cookies or drinks? Is it found in trees? Is it found in gifts or clothes? Is found in the outings or holidays? What is the true meaning of Christmas?
The highest and truest meaning of Christmas, is Emmanuel, a Hebrew word that means, “God is with us.” That implies God’s love, grace, mercy and peace upon our hopeless and miserable lives and situations.
THE PARADOXICAL CHRISTMAS STORY
There was this couple who for many years looked for a fruit of the womb. They passed all their life from one doctor to another and every known help. Eventually, at last, they were able to have a beautiful baby boy, thanks to God.
They did everything to keep the boy saved and protected until it was time for the boy’s first birthday. In a grand style and elaborate way, they wanted a fiesta of the year for their child only and long waited for the child. Money was spent and friends were invited.
So, on his first birthday, the child was beautifully dressed and kept in the baby’s carrier which was left close to the gifts table. The party began and guests poured in with their gifts. Everyone in the rush to catch the moment of the party mood dining, winning, chatting and dancing with no or little thought of the baby being celebrated threw their gifts unto the table or into the baby carrier.
Until someone calls in for the birthday boy to be presented to all. It was then, it did all including the parents who were busy receiving their guests that the heap of gifts were all over the baby carrier.
Unfortunately, it was too late for the baby as life was sniffed out of him due to suffocation from the gifts. The sweet party mood changed to a bitter one as the guests all left with a rhythm of guilt and the parents mourned their irreplaceable loss.
OUR THEME
The most important theme of Christmas is that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in our world, though he was with God the Father before all ages. His birth opens up for us a glorious new identity, as children of God.
We are invited to reflect on the reasons: why we celebrate Christmas with great rejoicing.
1. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us John 1:14. This is the most profound truth of all truth. It is based on a faith articulation and not any physical evidence or historical adventure.
2. Christmas is the Feast of God’s sending us a Saviour: God undertook the Incarnation of Jesus as True God and true man to save us from the bondage of sin.
3. Christmas is the Feast of God’s sharing His love with us: Jesus, as our Saviour, brought the “Good News” that our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful, rewarding God and not a judgmental, cruel, punishing God.
4. Christmas is the Feast of the Emmanuel (God living with us and within us): Christmas is the feast of the Emmanuel because God in the New Testament is a God Who continues to live with us in all the events of our lives as the “Emmanuel” announced by the angel to Mary.
5. The greatest theological insight that we have ever had in our salvation history is that: “Jesus loves us, this we know, for the Bible tells us so.” Christmas is the celebration of this great Divine Love for us sinful humans.
Jesus lives in us as Emmanuel in the Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in the praying community, and in each believer, as the Holy Spirit residing in us makes us.
Hence, let us allow Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives, not only during Christmas, but every day, so that he may radiate the Light of his Presence from within us as sharing and selfless love, expressed in compassionate words and deeds, unconditional forgiveness, the spirit of humble service, and overflowing generosity.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 52:7-10.
The joy of the watchmen, at seeing the Lord’s messenger overflows with beamy gladness and hope for a brighter future. Hence, the prophet Isaiah invites the people to sing and rejoice, before the imminent saving action of God, is offered to all. Isaiah 52:7-10
SECOND READING: HEBREWS 1:1-6
The son of Mary is the eternal Son, through whom all things were made and he is the fulfilment and fullness of history, time and ages.
The presence of the Son of God Jesus Christ inaugurates a new stage for all humanity. In Christ, we have the revelation of the Father who is love, joy, peace, grace and life.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 1:1-18
Saint John presents us with a synthesis of the entire Gospel of him and God’s project carried out in the incarnation of the Word.
John’s Gospel Prologue: the divine nature of the Word-made-flesh from whose fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace.
Imagine the Christmas story told without those very familiar elements or features. What would the Christmas story be like with no stable, no manger, no Joseph, no Mary, no Bethlehem, no shepherds, no angels, no star, no wise men and no baby? What would the Christmas story be?
Yet, this is what John the Evangelist did with his discourse at the beginning of his gospel. While Matthew and Luke gave us all the elements, personalities and features that kind of make up the telling of the Christmas story,
Fundamentally, John gave the supernatural side of the Christmas story from a faith perspective.
THE HOLY BIBLE PROCLAIMS THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS:
1. Christmas proclaims the message of a Saviour for mankind (Mt 1:21, Lk 2:10-11, Lk 2:30-32). God entered this world as a human baby to fulfil his mission to rescue lost and sinful people.
2. Christmas proclaims the message of God’s love for man. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
3. Christmas proclaims the message of God’s Self-revelation to man. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14, Jn 1:18; Heb 1:3a).
4. Christmas proclaims the singular and unique message that believing in Jesus is the only way to salvation. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6, Acts 4:2-10).
5. Christmas proclaims a message of God’s involvement in human affairs. This is clear from the fact that Jesus experienced personally every developmental phase of human life from conception through adulthood and death.
6. God, then, knows intimately our struggles and stresses, our hopes and dreams, our sorrows and sufferings. The author of Hebrews clarifies this, saying of Jesus (Heb 2:14-18).
7. Christmas proclaims a message of hope and redemption for mankind. St. Paul proclaims, “It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30).
8. Let us enjoy the true spirit of Christmas by accepting Jesus the Christmas baby as our Saviour God.
9. Let us invite Him to rule our lives and ask Him for the strengthening power of His Holy Spirit to do God’s will every day of our lives
CHRISTMAS DIGNIFY US
God become like us for us to be like Him divine, dignify, glorify and transform into his glorious and luminous image.
Christmas is a feast of our divinization
It is a feast of God´s infinite love
It is a feast of peace and goodwill
It is a feast of the family with Jesus, Mary and Joseph
It is a feast that invites us to reflect on the humility and vulnerability of God-child born to save us.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ: You are Immanuel, the eternal Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us. May we not only celebrate Christmas with its traditions, rites and rituals but also its spirituality of You being born anew in our hearts, lives and every situation of our existence. Amen Lord, may the infant King and Saviour of the world never let the dawning light and grace of the season sniff out of us even as we celebrate with intense joy and heavy fiesta the birth of Christ Jesus. Amen
CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
(Q1.) Is Christmas the greatest feast celebrated in the Church?
(A1)The answer is NO! Easter is feast #1, Pentecost is #2 and Christmas is #3. The Roman Church started celebrating Christmas only after Christianity was recognized as the state religion.
(Q2) Was Jesus born on December 25th?
(A2)The answer is NO! Many Fathers of the Church thought that Jesus was born on January 4th, in 4 B.C. before the death of King Herod the Great. Some Bible scholars fix Jesus’ birth in the month of September during the Feast of the Tabernacles when people travelled and when the sheep were in the field at night.
December 25th was fixed by Pope Julius in A.D. 353 as a part of baptizing, or Christianizing, of pagan feasts so that the converted pagans might celebrate the birthday of Jesus on Dec 25th instead of celebrating the birthday of the Sun-god during the winter solstice. While converted Roman soldiers might celebrate Christmas instead of the birthday of Mithras, the Roman god of virility (Deus Solus Invictus).
The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honouring the god of agriculture, Saturn. Later the Kalends of January were observed to celebrate the triumph of life over death. The entire season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun., or Saturnalia).
It was Emperor Julianus who declared Christmas a national holiday in the 6th century. Most of the present-day Christmas decorations like the Christmas carols and gifts, Christmas tree and Christmas lights are also remnants of the pagan celebrations.
(It was St. Francis of Assisi who first introduced the manger or Christmas crib in the 13th century). (Q3) Where did the name Christmas originate?
(A3) In medieval times, the celebration of Christmas took the form of a special Mass celebrated at midnight on the eve of Christ’s birth. Since this was the only time in the Catholic Church year when a Midnight Mass was allowed, it soon became known in Middle English as “Christes Masse” (Christ’s Mass), from which is derived Christmas. existence. Amen Lord, may the infant King and Saviour of the world never let the dawning light and grace of the season sniff out of us even as we celebrate with intense joy and heavy fiesta the birth of Christ Jesus. Amen
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