"Today a saviour has been born to us; he is Christ the Lord"(Lk. 2:11).
The Church celebrates today a great mystery, the Mystery of God the Father's
Love becoming tangible in the person of a child, the Child Jesus of Bethlehem.
His Eternal Son becomes one of humankind in order to draw all humanity to Himself.
"God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life"(Jn. 3:16).
To have eternal life means to live forever with God, to live forever in love.
The Mystery of the coming of God's love in the Person of His Son was proclaimed to the shepherds in the fields as "news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people" (Lk.2:10). This then is a time of joy, joy in the Lord. Each one of us is touched particularly by God's love this Christmas. Just as the Angel Gabriel had said to Mary: "Do not be afraid" (Lk. 1:31) and the angel said to the shepherds on this holy night: "Do not be afraid" (LK. 2:10), so today the infant Jesus says to each one of us from the manger: "Do not be afraid". Do not be afraid to take me at my word, do not be afraid to open your heart to me and allow me to heal your wounds and your worries, do not be afraid to put your trust in Me. Coming as a little child Jesus makes it easy for everyone to approach Him. He knows each one of us intimately and He has said to us: "Come to me all who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest"(Mt. 11:28). The message of Christmas is a refreshing message, one which must uplift us, one which will bring light into the dark alleyways of our lives.
In this particular time in world history when crises appear on the horizon more ominously every day, we may be tempted to ask: "Where is God in all of this?". Today we know where He is. He has come to encounter the reality of today's world, once more in the form of an innocent Child in the poverty of a stable. He is not threatening nor is He prejudiced. He is beautiful and weak as any newborn child but He is powerful with the power of God. He has come to take possession of the world with the love of His Father and, judged in this context, crises can only begin to make sense. We are in the Hands of God. Exclude God from the solutions being proposed and we begin to go down the slippery slope of inevitable failure. The Divine economy of God, based on grace and love, on forgiveness and commitment, will enable all of us, both in Church and State, to find our way out of the quagmire of doubt and confusion.
With the stringent times in which we live today, may we not forget that Christmas is about caring and sharing. It would be sad if the generous spirit, by which we Irish are well known, would be diminished in any way, thus making those who are in need more impoverished and alone.
May the spirit of Christmas bring us all closer together in the Love which the Infant of Bethlehem brings us and may every family be united in its celebration of the "news of great joy". May children experience that joy in a particular way this Christmas and may Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, share with all families the joy of knowing that through Her " a Saviour has been born to us; He is Christ the Lord" (LK. 2:11).
A Happy and a Blessed Christmas to you all and may the New Year 2009 bring peace and reconciliation to the world, to our Nation and to every home.