We are living in some pretty dark times, with countless problems facing us. Hopes have been shaken, even dashed in some cases, and yet there are people who remain strong despite adversity. I think that's a good reason why Christmas needs to be remembered. For four weeks, we have been praying and anticipating the birth of our Savior. The problem, however, with the modern Christmas celebration, I believe, is that we spend so much time preparing for Christmas that once it gets here, we're all Christmased out. The presents have been opened, the tree has been lit, and by the time Christmas Day arrives, we want to take it all down and return back to our normal lives. We must fight against this urge. There are special graces that God is pouring out on us during the Christmas season and if we spend so much time celebrating Christmas before it even arrives, we may miss out on the graces God wants to give us on that holy day.
I can only imagine what it must have been like for the nation of Israel on that first Christmas night. Here they had been anxiously awaiting the Messiah for centuries. Rome had c completely subjugated them. They were hoping that the Messiah would come and crush their enemies so that they could live in peace worshiping God again. It was a world of darkness, a world of confusion where each man was better off fighting for himself and helping others. It was that world in which God decided to become a baby. Above his stable a light shone that was so bright that it called kings from the East to come and worship him, kings that were not even Jewish. As this baby grew his light spread throughout the whole region. Here's another thing to consider: The Bible both begins and ends with light. "In the beginning God said, 'let there be light.'" The first thing God created was light, because He knew that through light darkness would be dispelled. Evil would be conquered, and truth would prevail. The Fall darkened our world, and yet the light of Christmas brightened it once again. According to the Book of Revelation, the heavenly city is a place filled with light, a light that never goes out. There is no darkness in heaven, no sadness, no evil, no pain.
We are called to carry that light. Remember what Jesus said at the end the Gospel of Matthew. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." We must carry this light to all that we meet. The light does us no good if we hoard it for ourselves, it is something that must be shared, so that truth, beauty and goodness can cast out the darkness of our present time and make our world shine with the splendor God has given it. Be the light, my friends. You have been sent.
Merry Christmas.
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