At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern. – St Teresa of Kolkata
I am in London at the moment and have been engaging the young ones in our family in discussions about Advent. For example, I asked them what gifts they would give to baby Jesus if, like the Magi, they were present at the birth of the Christ-child.
Their responses show that they would give Him what’s important in their lives today – PS4, iPad, iPhone, Tablet, apps and so on. Four-year-old Elijah, my great nephew, sat quietly, listening to his older siblings and cousins. Eventually, he whispered in my ear: “Auntie Leela, I would give him my heart… Grandma says!” Out of the mouths of babes.
So, what will you give to the Christ-child? Don’t rush to answer – take some time to think.
Pope Francis rightly said in his homily last Christmas Eve: “…when we hear tell of the birth of Christ, let us be silent and let the Child speak. Let us take his words to heart in rapt contemplation of his face. If we take him in our arms and let ourselves be embraced by him, he will bring us unending peace of heart. This Child teaches us what is truly essential in our lives…This Child, whose face radiates the goodness, mercy and love of God the Father, trains us, his disciples, as St Paul says, ‘to reject godless ways’ and the richness of the world, in order to live ‘temperately, justly and devoutly’ (Tit 2:12).
“In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, this Child calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential. In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice, to discern and to do God’s will. Amid a culture of indifference which not infrequently turns ruthless, our style of life should instead be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy, drawn daily from the wellspring of prayer.”
During this Advent season, this season of grace and hope, let us heed Pope Francis’ words on the Solemnity of the Epiphany this year and “follow the light of Jesus today, worship Him with all our heart, and present Him with our gifts of freedom, understanding and love.”
He reminded us that the thirst for God is in everyone and that the Church’s mission is to help people “know the face of the Father” by first receiving “God’s light and then reflecting it…Christ is the true light shining in the darkness. To the extent that the Church remains anchored in him, to the extent she lets herself be illuminated by him, she is able to bring light into the lives of individuals and peoples.”
Mission, he said, is the Church’s vocation; “to shine Christ’s light is her service.”
Reflect on whether or not you are living the Beatitudes and become familiar with the six new Beatitudes which Pope Francis gave us on All Saints Day – to be added to those given to us by Our Lord during the Sermon on the Mount.
The Holy Father said that the “identity card” of the saints is found in the Beatitudes and that, as Christian saints have done throughout the ages, Christ’s followers today are called “to confront the troubles and anxieties of our age with the spirit and love of Jesus…. New situations require new energy and a new commitment.”
Two of the six new Beatitudes he offered to modern Christians are as follows:
- Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalised and show them their closeness.
- Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover Him.
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Jesus, the greatest giver of gifts, gave us the gift of Himself – even though we did not deserve it: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Incarnation shows us the extent of God’s love for us, His children. God sent His Son, Jesus, who was both truly God and truly man, to save us.
He expects us to respond to His love by deepening our relationship with Him and building His civilisation of love. We can only do so if we see Him in all His creation; if we commit to transforming ourselves and rise to the challenge of being agents of justice and peace in our troubled world.
