“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke, Chapter 2
Dear Friends,
Christmas is a time of familiarity. We sing familiar songs, share familiar greetings, we pray and gather and celebrate in all those ways to which we are accustomed. Yet does this familiarity numb us to the awe-inspiring reality of the Lord’s Nativity? Look into the Christmas crèche: what do we see here? The King of the Universe – lying helpless in a manger. The Lord God Almighty – wrapped in swaddling clothes. The Eternal Word – an infant, unable even to speak!
The Creator of Heaven and Earth is held in the arms of one he has created, and upon opening his eyes looks up at his mother – and so looks up at each of us. God so loves us that he comes to us, he lowers himself for us, he refuses to be distanced from us and so becomes one of us –taking on the frailty of the human form, yet losing nothing of the greatness of his Divine power.
May we never grow tired of discovering anew these jarring truths, which turn upside-down our expectations of power, greatness, kingship, and so much else. May we renew with fervour our adoration of the God who has become a child, who for love of each one of us has inserted his very self into our human story. This is the blessing of Christmas – may it fill our hearts during these holy days!
May God, who by the Incarnation brought together the earthly and heavenly realm, fill you with the gift of his peace and favor and make you sharers with the Church in heaven!
