In the past few weeks, we all have been preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday and as Christmas day dawns, I would like to journey with you and reflect upon what probably was it on that first Christmas day.
Centuries ago a pregnant woman, sitting on a donkey or a bullock cart, escorted by her husband, travelling a distance of around 160 kilometres, up and down steep hills, valleys and extremely rough roads. This is the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In today’s times, it would take roughly two hours by car. It may have taken them a week or so to complete this journey because of the rest stops, rough weather, wild animals and other challenges. And after bearing all of this, Mary and Joseph find no decent place for her to give birth; all they find is a stable, which was not at all a healthy environment for a mother to give birth to a child. Even after Jesus was born, the family faced death threats from King Herod and had to run and hide in Egypt till it was safe.
God, being all-powerful, could have ordered a special palace to appear, equipped with everything for a mother to give birth to her child, but nothing of that sort, in fact, quite the opposite; the stable or cave was cold, dark and dirty; there was no furniture, just a manger for the animal feed, in which God was placed after he was born; in a nutshell, it was far from how we prepare our houses for Christmas.
Let us look at the symbols in this situation: The people who did not want to help Mary and Joseph represent the selfish people in the society; the dirty stable represents our sinful and wounded nature and the manger represents our hearts; the shepherds and wise men are the good people God sends in our lives to either celebrate with us or to comfort us in times of sorrow.
Out of his compassion and unconditional love, God became a baby and places himself in the manger of our hearts to become one with us for our salvation, without a care for himself. We may have not experienced the birth of Jesus at that time but at every Eucharistic celebration, He becomes flesh to dwell among us. No act of love can ever match this gift of God of himself to us.
Therefore, God has already come in union with us; he already participates in our daily lives, and it is his mission to reunite with us in Heaven. And the best gift we can give God is our lives and by sharing his message with everyone around us – in word and indeed. Can we collaborate with God and draw much more close to Him through our words and deeds?
The synod is a great launchpad to do so; therefore, I invite all of you to respond to this communion with God, participate in his church and missionate among his people; after all, it was for our salvation, he was placed in the manger of our hearts.
I wish all of you a joyful Christmas season, may you experience the love of Jesus in your lives and I assure you of my prayers for your intentions.