Daily Reflection – 12/24/2023
Sacred Scripture
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2: 15-20)
Reflection
For a brief moment, the eyes of the world are focused on Bethlehem. But it’s not the Bethlehem we know. It’s an empty city with no joy, no festivities, no positivity. It’s a city filled with apprehension and grave concern.
As sad as that sounds on Christmas, perhaps we need that thought to appreciate the joy and the hope that is contained in the birth of Jesus Christ. The contrast is quite vivid.
It begins with a manger in the darkness. But as we draw close to it, as the Shepherds did, the darkness changes to a brightest of lights for it is the light of Christ emanating from the manager and touching the shepherds just as it touches us.
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”
The enormity of those words is followed by the sweetness of angelic voices behind us, and we hear:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
No matter where we are today, no matter what we are doing, that scene and those words are a soothing balm. That scene and those words force us to believe that there will be peace in our souls and in this world. That scene and those words bring us hope.
There are so many that have lost hope. There are so many that need peace. Has the birth of Jesus Christ become so common that the power of his birth now burns low in our hearts ?
Of course not. Nothing has changed. The birth of Jesus Christ was and continues to be the single, most powerful event in the world. It offers each of us a passage home to our Father. It reminds each of us that we are important to Him. He who created us loves us.
Our hearts are cradled by those words. We want that scene to be true. We want to know the reality of that birth in our lives.
We want to hear the good news, the promise and the hope. Not just for us but for all – Blacks, Whites, Brown, liberals, conservatives, Muslim, Jew, Christian, immigrants, gay and straight – all of God’s children.
Each person is His child.
Christmas is our shared celebration, that God is with us still; God is still speaking, still acting in our lives and in the life of the world that God loves so well. God is still with us, as we celebrate, and we sing our carols this Christmas. And those carols need to be sung each day in the days that lie ahead.
The birth of Christ is the birth of love in our hearts. And we must not keep this selfless love we must plant this love in others hearts too by being a blessing to them. So that it will bear much fruit in their hearts that will feed others who are hungry and thirsty for Jesus’ Christ love.
Faith is not just about personal salvation but about sharing the good news with others. We are called to be witnesses to God’s love and to spread His message of hope and salvation to all those around us.
God chooses us as instruments to convey His presence. As St. Paul wrote in his First Letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Because God dwells within us, God can communicate His love in the most familiar of ways, the simplest of gestures, the kindness of one or two words.
If you believe that then you know, as I do, that we have a significant role to play in the lives of others. We can bring joy and hope, and love and promise. We can because we are called by God, our Father to do that.
Today’s Bethlehem looks quite different than all the other years. But the manger is still there. That little manger in Bethlehem holds the creator of us all and by his birth you and I, every aspect of our lives, and all of creation are cradled in him. Today, the Creator is born and by his birth we, the created, are made anew, reborn, and recreated.
May you have a Christmas filled with His blessings and may you go forth from your home to be His light.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord our God, with the birth of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, your glory breaks on the world. As we celebrate his first coming, give us a foretaste of the joy that you will grant us when the fulness of his glory has filled the earth.”
Daily Note
The story of the birth of Jesus is a reminder of the power of God’s love and the hope that it brings to our lives. It is a story of unexpected announcements, humble responses, miraculous experiences, and joyful praise. As we reflect on this passage, may we be inspired to live a life of faith, obedience, and witness, sharing the good news of God’s love with all those around us.
The joy of Christmas is not for a day or a season. It is an eternal joy, a joy that no one can take from us because it is the joy of Jesus Christ himself made present in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (see Romans 5:2-5). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which no pain nor sorrow can diminish, and which neither life nor death can take away.
