Dr. Fr.
Davis George
Prophet Malachi prophesied: "For you who revere my name
the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." (Malachi
4:2).
This prophecy was fulfilled nearly four hundred years later when
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ God-Incarnate, was born at Bethlehem. All
Christians the world over celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ as
the 'Feast of Christmas.' The wonder of Christmas is that his birth was
foretold centuries before his birth. 'The Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel, God-with-us.'( Isaiah 7:14) The wonder of Christmas is that ordinary
shepherds- simple, humble and poor people were the first recipients the message
of the birth of the Saviour of the world, “Be not afraid; for behold, I
bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you
is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Lk
2:8-20) The wonder of Christmas is that three kings, wise men from the East,
were led by a star to Bethlehem to worship the new born king. (Mt2:1-12)
The wonder of Christmas is that the new born child was protected by God from
the wrath of Herod who out of jealousy and envy, wanted to kill the new born
king. (Mt 2:13-15) The wonder of Christmas is that God emptied himself and
became a human being. “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality
with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he
humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
(Phil2:6-7) Although he was rich he made himself poor so that we can be made
rich. God became a human being so that we humans can become like God. How
awesome the love of God!
Christmas is the time for spiritual rejoicing and glorifying
God. But unfortunately, there is now much unhappiness in the world. Injustice
and unrighteousness are present in many parts of the world. Lack of belief in
God is on the increase. People and nations are failing to understand God's love
for them. So they are becoming more self-centered than God- centered. And
naturally, there is no peace, but unrest all over the world.
All human efforts to establish lasting peace are proving to
be in vain. Only God can bring lasting peace and joy. St. John the Apostle
testifies: "For God so loved the world that He gave unto the world His
Only-begotten Son that whoever believe in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life" (St. John 3:16). We must realize this love of God for us and
love Him in return. We must repent and believe in His Only-begotten Son, Lord
Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. And one would experience
peace and salvation, which is result of Christmas, Christ being born in our
hearts.
"The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have
seen his glory..." (John 1:14). We live in a visited world. On that holy
night twenty centuries ago, God visited the world in the miracle of Bethlehem.
Held in Mary's arms that night was the revelation of steadfast, unbounded love
for all humanity. The birth of Jesus disclosed God’s saving will and eternal
desire for reconciliation and peace.
In this season of Christmas, we encounter again Jesus, sent
from God for our salvation. As the Word is proclaimed in both simple buildings
and cathedrals of grandeur, through persons and events, we receive the good
news of God's love in Christ Jesus for the whole earth. Mother Teresa
encountered Jesus in the destitute, the abandoned, rejected and suffering human
beings around the world. “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least
of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Mt25:40)
We gather with our family and friends for the
celebration of our Lord's Nativity. In our gathering, however, we hear the
sounds of discord throughout the world. From divisions caused by walls of
separation, from the struggles of many for survival from disasters,
devastation, hunger, and poverty, from the dread of rampant disease and the
spread of HIV and AIDS, from war and the threat of war, even with nuclear
weapons, from broken relationships in homes and hostilities within communities
and countries, we seek rescue. We yearn for the gracious healing, and
reconciling Word of the Prince of Peace.
We hear the angel say, "Do not be afraid." With
that message of courage, we realize as believers that we are never alone. So we
join with the whole Church on earth, lifting our voices with renewed hope. In
so doing, we join the grand anthem:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king....
We live in a world without mercy, where more and more people
feel trapped. Time and money have established their merciless rule. The secret
of their power is scarcity. Time is money, they say. Those who have a lot of
money never have time, and the poor perhaps have time but no money. Yet they
need money in order to live, so they borrow, and then they find themselves
trapped in the relentless grip of debt.
We are told that in a world of scarcity, competition is the
best way to achieve more. Competition obeys the merciless rule of winning and
losing. Because time and money are scarce, the one who moves faster or can
offer the better price will win. Those who are too slow or have little to offer
are eliminated from the race - excluded. In a world of competition, there is
little to protect them.
Where money rules, almost everything becomes scarce. When
power and even justice can be bought, there is little left for those who are
poor. Here, too, there are only winners and losers. When money reigns supreme,
even the call for justice comes to be counted as a cost factor. The powerful
will be careful not to apologize for acts of injustice for fear of claims for
monetary compensation. As for those who have nothing to lose, in extreme cases
some of them may turn to violence in order to command attention and assert
their rights - only to be met with relentless retaliation.
It is in this merciless world that the "grace of God
has appeared, bringing salvation to all" (Titus 2:11). This is the same
God whom Moses encountered as "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex. 34:6) and whom the
psalmist praises as the one who "does not deal with us according to our
sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10). God has
come into our world to live among us and to liberate us from the merciless rule
of winning and losing, from the yoke of competition and scarcity.
Our world will not be saved by increased competitiveness in
face of scarcity, but by grace and mercy. The grace of God which is God's true
being has taken on human form in Jesus Christ. God's grace overrules the law of
scarcity and breaks the relentless dynamic of retaliation. God does not treat
us on the basis of achievement, worth or power. God gives and forgives
generously, without counting the cost, and offers life in its fullness (John
10:10), particularly to those who are the losers in our merciless world. May we
therefore, this Christmas, receive from his fullness "grace upon
grace"! This is the message of Christmas: "And the word became flesh
and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only
son, full of grace and truth... From his fullness we have all received, grace
upon grace" (John 1:14,16).
Christ can be born a thousand times in Galilee, but all in
vain unless he is born in you and me. The word has to become flesh in us and do
what Jesus brought on earth- repentance, forgiveness, healing and salvation.
This is the challenge of Christmas.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May
Jesus walk with you each day 2007.
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