My dear brothers and sisters, I hope that your journey through Advent has been prayerful. Isn’t it incredible that God sent His only son, Jesus to save us? What a gift!
It is with a sense of wonder and thanksgiving that we welcome the coming of Christ who is Emmanuel, “God with us”. My heart is filled with great joy and anticipation as we approach the day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who came to earth in human form to save us from original sin; who brought us out of the darkness into the light of His love. Yes, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
Pope Francis reminds us that “Christmas is a feast of hope and trust which overcomes uncertainty and pessimism.” He says: “Christmas isn’t just the memory of a beautiful [event], Christmas is something more: Christmas is an encounter [with the Lord]. He urges us to embrace Jesus, the light of the world.”
If you look at the baby Jesus in most crèches you will see Jesus stretching out His arms. He is drawing us close to Him. He who had no place but a stable in which to lay His head, wishes to find a home in our hearts. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Let him come in. This Christmas let us open our hearts in a new way to the message of the birth of Jesus.
Scriptures tell us that if we are true followers of Christ, then we must be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (See: Mt. 5:13-16). Let us be salt and light by building a society rooted in care and compassion for our neighbour. Let us build communities based on love and trust, where the concerns of our neighbours become our concerns. Let us work together to build a society that is more deeply human. One of the documents of Vatican II: Gaudium et Spes, reminds us that
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Remember the words of Blessed John Paul II, who said it was important for Christians to develop ‘a globalisation of solidarity’ with hearts that beat in love with the world’s poorest, as well as for those in trouble closer to home.”
Let us remember the homeless, the lonely, the bereaved, the mentally ill, the sick, those in prison, refugees and asylum seekers. Our world is broken in so many ways. But amidst the chaos that threatens to overwhelm us, the Christ-child, Jesus, brings us a sign of hope. He came to show us how to live.
Christmas challenges us to become what we are – children of God. We were made by love for love. During this holy season, let us re-evaluate our own priorities of what we need to do to build the common good.
May the birth of our Saviour, the Prince of Peace, fill our lives with peace and love and strengthen our faith. Let us turn from darkness to the light of Christ and reflect His light to all around us.
I offer you my best wishes for a Christmas filled with light and peace for you and our loved ones. Happy Christmas and may the New Year find us all ready to play our part to build the civilization of love and peace. God bless us all.
