Christmas 2017
Midnight Mass: Isa 9:1-6; Ps 95[96]:1-3, 11-13; Titus 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14. Day Mass: Isa 52:7-10; Ps 97[98]:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18
‘And the Word became flesh and lived among us’ (Jn 1:14)
Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Merry Christmas to all of you who have come today to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Internet world
Today we are in the internet world. The things are done kilometres away by pressing just buttons. Today’s world is an easy going world. We sit and enjoy comforts by mere phone calls and pay for the things just online. We need not go to the place of the things but the things come to us!!! Looks very magical!
But this facility was not used by our God to redeem us, though he has given us the intelligence. He didn’t make use of the internet to save us. He did not install wifi connections to spread his love. He came down in the form of His own creation and be lived like any of his creation and this is what we celebrate today.
- Partial world
Do we see the partiality today? We do see it in different forms though not very visible to our simple eyes. It was worse in the ancient times especially on the basis of gender, cast and nationality. Jesus is not a God who is born only for Christians. Our God is an impartial God who was born poor for the sake of the majority in the world. Rich were actually few who controlled the economy of the society; and it is true even today. If God wanted the followers of Christ to be rich he would have been born as the banker or as a multibillionaire. He did not come to divide but to unite. He came to make us all rich in the grace of God. Let us rejoice to day in his rebirth in our hearts.
- You and me in today’s world
What is the role of you and me in today’s world? The evils in the society and world is on rise. The world has become a dangerous place to live in today. I’m not giving a negative picture of the world but speaking the truth. The privacy is violated, the religiosity is not a favourable topic of discussion, materialism and consumerism has reached its peak, social injustice is what we get everywhere, criminal and terrorism are worrying factors, natural calamities are adding more fear.
How to celebrate Christmas today amidst all this? If we are willing we can: this year has been dedicated as year of the poor by the church. Through this the mother church is calling us to share our Christmas joys with the poor. We spend so much money on gifts can we be also gifts to someone? We send money to those who are underprivileged shall we send it with love? We make cakes shall we make some good memories this Christmas? We decorate with Christmas lights, shall become the lights of Christ?
May this Christmas make us rich in love peace, joy and grace of God. Amen.
Capuchins NZ 