Fr. Louis Birabaluge, SX
CHRISTMAS DAY
Christmas is a joyful feast because of the celebrations around it: gathering of families, sharing of gifts, parties, buying of new clothes...While all theses manifestations are important and needed, the risk is to miss the meaning of Christmas. When the emphasis is put on what we have to buy, eat and drink during Christmas and forget what God has done for us during the event of Christmas, we just transform Christmas feast in one of the most important commercial events, but no more!
The Gospel of John, using a sober language but deep, gives us the key to understand the mystery we are celebrating today. Indeed, today’s gospel says: “The word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth”. During Christmas, we celebrate the coming of God among us, through his Son Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, by the Virgin Mary, in the stable, under the fatherly care of Saint Joseph. In faith, as Christians, we acknowledge that the birth of Jesus is the great event which has changed the course of the whole human history.
That God comes and lives among us like a child born in poor human conditions will remain chocking for many people. It’s even a scandal for some people. Because it seems that it’s to diminish God, the Almighty. But this is the God of our faith as Christians. He sent his only Son for us. His Son: “emptied himself, taking the form of salve, coming in human likeness...becoming obedient to death even to death on a cross”, says Saint Paul to the Philippians (2: 7-8). Therefore, Christmas invites us to keep our eyes both on the baby in the stable of Bethlehem and on the Cross of Calvary. Because, it’s the same event: the great love of God for us.
The noise around Christmas may lead us not to perceive this deep meaning of Christmas. The proper Christmas attitudes should be silence and thanksgiving. To remain silent and welcome in faith what we are celebrating, like the Virgin Mary and Joseph who believed what they were told by the Angel about the child: the Son of the most high who saves the people from their sins (Mt 1: 21). But also to thank God as the shepherds, to whom the good news of the nativity of Jesus Christ was first told by the Angel. Without doubting, they went immediately, in haste to Bethlehem. When they met Jesus, Mary and Joseph, they could not keep for themselves this good news. They made it know (Lk 2: 8-17).
Indeed the joy of Christmas cannot be kept in the secret of our hearts. It has to be announced to all (Is 52: 10). How? It depends on the commitments of each one of us. But so far, if by Christmas we celebrate the dwelling of God among us, this celebration shapes our human relationships. Where God is really present, selfishness, bitterness and despair give place to sharing, joy and hope. More than words, Christmas is a feast of actions following the great action of God towards the world: he gave his Only Son Jesus Christ.
Speaking about real solidarity, I remember a prayer of an old missionary priest, while I was in Scotland. In fact, during Christmas, we were gathered with friends just before a nice Christmas party. Asked to lead the prayer before the meal, the father said: “Lord Jesus, help us to cut off some of our parties, to save the money and send it to one or two families for whom Christmas is a day like others. Jesus, help us to understand that Christmas is a feast of real sharing because during that day you came to share our poor human conditions”! After the pray, we all remained silent, even ashamed because we realized that while we were speaking about God’s solidarity with us, we were not able to renounce to one of our parties and share with those without parties.
Living here in Mongo Bendugu where parties are not so often, I notice how even with few things people are able to share. It’s amazing to see 5 or 6 people sharing a simple meal, like rice and groundnuts sauce in the same dish, and if it happens that another person is passing by, they call him saying: come and share with us! This is a real Christmas attitude. And again, these days, I am seeing Muslim people coming from towns and join their relatives here. When I ask them why they are here, the answer is: it’s Christmas. And I add: but are you Christians? They reply: Christmas is for all. Yes, non Christians here remind us that Christmas is for all. Which means for us Christians to learn how to open our hearts and extend our love to all as God did when he came and dwelt among us.
CHRISTMAS DAY
Christmas is a joyful feast because of the celebrations around it: gathering of families, sharing of gifts, parties, buying of new clothes...While all theses manifestations are important and needed, the risk is to miss the meaning of Christmas. When the emphasis is put on what we have to buy, eat and drink during Christmas and forget what God has done for us during the event of Christmas, we just transform Christmas feast in one of the most important commercial events, but no more!
The Gospel of John, using a sober language but deep, gives us the key to understand the mystery we are celebrating today. Indeed, today’s gospel says: “The word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth”. During Christmas, we celebrate the coming of God among us, through his Son Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, by the Virgin Mary, in the stable, under the fatherly care of Saint Joseph. In faith, as Christians, we acknowledge that the birth of Jesus is the great event which has changed the course of the whole human history.
That God comes and lives among us like a child born in poor human conditions will remain chocking for many people. It’s even a scandal for some people. Because it seems that it’s to diminish God, the Almighty. But this is the God of our faith as Christians. He sent his only Son for us. His Son: “emptied himself, taking the form of salve, coming in human likeness...becoming obedient to death even to death on a cross”, says Saint Paul to the Philippians (2: 7-8). Therefore, Christmas invites us to keep our eyes both on the baby in the stable of Bethlehem and on the Cross of Calvary. Because, it’s the same event: the great love of God for us.
The noise around Christmas may lead us not to perceive this deep meaning of Christmas. The proper Christmas attitudes should be silence and thanksgiving. To remain silent and welcome in faith what we are celebrating, like the Virgin Mary and Joseph who believed what they were told by the Angel about the child: the Son of the most high who saves the people from their sins (Mt 1: 21). But also to thank God as the shepherds, to whom the good news of the nativity of Jesus Christ was first told by the Angel. Without doubting, they went immediately, in haste to Bethlehem. When they met Jesus, Mary and Joseph, they could not keep for themselves this good news. They made it know (Lk 2: 8-17).
Indeed the joy of Christmas cannot be kept in the secret of our hearts. It has to be announced to all (Is 52: 10). How? It depends on the commitments of each one of us. But so far, if by Christmas we celebrate the dwelling of God among us, this celebration shapes our human relationships. Where God is really present, selfishness, bitterness and despair give place to sharing, joy and hope. More than words, Christmas is a feast of actions following the great action of God towards the world: he gave his Only Son Jesus Christ.
Speaking about real solidarity, I remember a prayer of an old missionary priest, while I was in Scotland. In fact, during Christmas, we were gathered with friends just before a nice Christmas party. Asked to lead the prayer before the meal, the father said: “Lord Jesus, help us to cut off some of our parties, to save the money and send it to one or two families for whom Christmas is a day like others. Jesus, help us to understand that Christmas is a feast of real sharing because during that day you came to share our poor human conditions”! After the pray, we all remained silent, even ashamed because we realized that while we were speaking about God’s solidarity with us, we were not able to renounce to one of our parties and share with those without parties.
Living here in Mongo Bendugu where parties are not so often, I notice how even with few things people are able to share. It’s amazing to see 5 or 6 people sharing a simple meal, like rice and groundnuts sauce in the same dish, and if it happens that another person is passing by, they call him saying: come and share with us! This is a real Christmas attitude. And again, these days, I am seeing Muslim people coming from towns and join their relatives here. When I ask them why they are here, the answer is: it’s Christmas. And I add: but are you Christians? They reply: Christmas is for all. Yes, non Christians here remind us that Christmas is for all. Which means for us Christians to learn how to open our hearts and extend our love to all as God did when he came and dwelt among us.