“Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has worked wonders for us. He has made known His salvation.”
Christmas is a milestone in the history of our salvation. So, it is wonderful to know that “God is with us.” Christmas; God has proved the depth of His love for us by allowing His own son to be born of a virgin. The Word of God has finally taken flesh.
The central message of celebration is the incarnation and revelation of Jesus Christ.
In Christmas, we celebrate love. We must be ready to extend God’s love this season. This is a season we must be ready to offer ourselves positively in love to others. As Christ has reached out to us, we too must be ready to reach out to others.
In Christmas, we celebrate sacrifice. We must also be ready to sacrifice something for the good of our brothers and sisters as Christ did. Just as He came down from heaven to be with us, and to show us the way, we must leave our comfort zones to reach out to the lowly, suffering and neglected of our society.
In Christmas, we celebrate humility. We must learn to be humble as Christ our mode is. In spite of being the king of the universe, He allowed Himself to be born
in a manger, without minding the discomforts.
Today, we celebrate the reign of peace. Peace not as the world gives, but as God gives it to those who love and believe in Him.
In Christmas, we celebrate hope. Christ’s birth has brought hope to all who sincerely believe in Him. This means that there is hope, even in the midst of uncertainties like wars, hunger, oppression, injustice, and even natural disasters.
Christmas is a day of joy. Let us sing psalms to the Lord with harp. With the sound of music, let us acclaim Christ our Lord and king, who is with us.
The basic Christmas gift is what Jesus offers: “Come near to me and you are very welcome.” No matter what we’ve done, or how bad we may feel – He helps us fulfil our destiny, as beloved sons and daughters of God.
Let us gather around Him, even if we don’t normally care for “churchy things." It is Jesus who wants to open the door to us today. To those who accept Him on Christmas day, He gives power to become children of God.
It is He, our Lord Jesus Christ, who protects us today. With the help of His grace we can make a new beginning in our lives.
Merry Christmas!
Father Liju Jose is the pastor at Innisfail’s Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church.
