IT’S Christmas. Christ is with us. The Son of God has become man. He
wants it that way so that our life can truly be a life with God. He
wants it that way so that he can show us the path to our salvation, to
our perfection as persons created in the image and likeness of God and
as children of God.
This is the joy of Christmas that is meant not only for a season, but
for whole time. We have to learn to stick to this reality but we have
to exert some effort. And that effort is the virtue of hope which in
the first place is a gift also from God. We need to take care of it
and cultivate it to its fullness.
Amid the darkness that is descending in the world today, a darkness
that is characterized by false and seductive lights, we need to
approach the baby in the manger surrounded by his adoring mother and
foster father, and by the pure hearts of simple but privileged
shepherds.
He is the true light who can generate hope in us and in the world
today that seems bent in plunging deeper into the morass of
immorality, now multiplying in cancer-like rate and supported
systematically by all sorts of rationalizations.
We have to go beyond sentimentalism and the frills with which
commercialism has shrouded this event, and discover the true spirit of
Christmas, imbibing it as fully as possible.
It shows us the ways of divine love, the love meant for us, the
ultimate foundation of our hope that dispels the darkness of the
modern lights. It is the Son of God, this helpless infant in the
manger, who can truly test and determine the authenticity or falsity
of the many ideologies presented to us today.
He is not afraid to live with us in any condition we might find
ourselves in. In fact, we are told that he has assumed our humanity in
its fullness, including in its wounded state now without committing
any sin, to show us the way of how to live in the world of today.
We need to get to know him more and more, and follow his path as
closely as possible. He already told us that if we want to follow him,
we should be willing to deny ourselves and to carry the cross. With
his grace and our efforts, let’s be prepared for this.
But let’s be familiar with his teaching and his ways. In him, truth
and charity become one, all virtues, all that are good are happily
blended in him. He is precisely the truth, the way and the life for
us.
It should be with him when we strive to preserve the truth about
ourselves in this world. It should be with him when we try to
transform the world, purifying it of its worldly ethos, defending and
protecting it from the subtle ways of God’s enemies, and instilling it
with God’s spirit of harmony and peace, joy, justice, beauty, etc.
As we go through the unavoidable discussion of issues, let’s always be
with him so we may know exactly what to say, how to say and when to
say. With him, the doctrines of our faith, the ultimate truths that
save us, cease to be mere abstract ideas. They acquire life and exert
tremendous power and wisdom.
But for this, we should be ready to go all the way, the way Christ
himself took. It is the way that leads to the Cross. That’s when we
with Christ can draw all men to God, in the manner expressed by Christ
himself: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
things to myself.” (Jn 12,32)
Our crucifixion can take many forms, but common among them would be
the barrage of insults, mockery, ridicule that we can receive as a
consequence of our fidelity to Christ. In our case, we can deserve
some if not much of the dirt thrown at us. But Christ will take it all
for us and with us.
What we have to do is to conduct our discussions, our efforts to
proclaim, explain, and clarify the truths behind the issues of our
times with consistency, competence and always in close fidelity to
Christ.
This may look like an ugly hand-to-hand combat, but as long as we are
with Christ we can manage to proclaim and defend the truth always in
charity. This is how we can have hope amid the glittery gloom of the
world today.
wants it that way so that our life can truly be a life with God. He
wants it that way so that he can show us the path to our salvation, to
our perfection as persons created in the image and likeness of God and
as children of God.
This is the joy of Christmas that is meant not only for a season, but
for whole time. We have to learn to stick to this reality but we have
to exert some effort. And that effort is the virtue of hope which in
the first place is a gift also from God. We need to take care of it
and cultivate it to its fullness.
Amid the darkness that is descending in the world today, a darkness
that is characterized by false and seductive lights, we need to
approach the baby in the manger surrounded by his adoring mother and
foster father, and by the pure hearts of simple but privileged
shepherds.
He is the true light who can generate hope in us and in the world
today that seems bent in plunging deeper into the morass of
immorality, now multiplying in cancer-like rate and supported
systematically by all sorts of rationalizations.
We have to go beyond sentimentalism and the frills with which
commercialism has shrouded this event, and discover the true spirit of
Christmas, imbibing it as fully as possible.
It shows us the ways of divine love, the love meant for us, the
ultimate foundation of our hope that dispels the darkness of the
modern lights. It is the Son of God, this helpless infant in the
manger, who can truly test and determine the authenticity or falsity
of the many ideologies presented to us today.
He is not afraid to live with us in any condition we might find
ourselves in. In fact, we are told that he has assumed our humanity in
its fullness, including in its wounded state now without committing
any sin, to show us the way of how to live in the world of today.
We need to get to know him more and more, and follow his path as
closely as possible. He already told us that if we want to follow him,
we should be willing to deny ourselves and to carry the cross. With
his grace and our efforts, let’s be prepared for this.
But let’s be familiar with his teaching and his ways. In him, truth
and charity become one, all virtues, all that are good are happily
blended in him. He is precisely the truth, the way and the life for
us.
It should be with him when we strive to preserve the truth about
ourselves in this world. It should be with him when we try to
transform the world, purifying it of its worldly ethos, defending and
protecting it from the subtle ways of God’s enemies, and instilling it
with God’s spirit of harmony and peace, joy, justice, beauty, etc.
As we go through the unavoidable discussion of issues, let’s always be
with him so we may know exactly what to say, how to say and when to
say. With him, the doctrines of our faith, the ultimate truths that
save us, cease to be mere abstract ideas. They acquire life and exert
tremendous power and wisdom.
But for this, we should be ready to go all the way, the way Christ
himself took. It is the way that leads to the Cross. That’s when we
with Christ can draw all men to God, in the manner expressed by Christ
himself: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
things to myself.” (Jn 12,32)
Our crucifixion can take many forms, but common among them would be
the barrage of insults, mockery, ridicule that we can receive as a
consequence of our fidelity to Christ. In our case, we can deserve
some if not much of the dirt thrown at us. But Christ will take it all
for us and with us.
What we have to do is to conduct our discussions, our efforts to
proclaim, explain, and clarify the truths behind the issues of our
times with consistency, competence and always in close fidelity to
Christ.
This may look like an ugly hand-to-hand combat, but as long as we are
with Christ we can manage to proclaim and defend the truth always in
charity. This is how we can have hope amid the glittery gloom of the
world today.
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