“…AND THE DARKNESS HAS NOT OVERCOME …”

In the beginning was the Word…

Happy Christmas!

What did you get under the tree this year? Something you were dying for?  Maybe you gave yourself a gift that you’d been diligently saving up for.  What a thrill when you finally clasped it this morning!  Maybe you did the giving and got an equal thrill seeing the joy on the faces of your loved ones.  It must have warmed you when you realised you got them the exact gift they wanted.

Our Father probably felt the same. In the beginning.

…The light shines in the darkness…

This wonderful morning, we receive again, under the star of Bethlehem, the exact gift our Father knew we needed: the Light of life that shows us where to walk to navigate the growing darkness of this world. That Light may have dimmed throughout history but it’s never gone out – not since the days of ancient Israel.

Already in the beginning, our Father had to contend with rebellious Creation: from Adam to the Israelites. Each time they fell, He shone His light anew to lead them to salvation. Each time, He gifted them with divine help, guardian angels, His own presence.  Unfortunately, more people are turning away from the light today. When the darkness grows too oppressive, we forget to look to the light; we lose the wonder and gratitude of the countless gifts God presents us each day. We overlook the apparent miracle. We don’t see the guardian angel. The divine becomes commonplace because we’re too busy, too afraid, dealing with worldly cares on our own.

What if this Christmas morning, we change that, and give our beloved Lord gifts of our own? There’s still time, and after all, this is His birthday. Are we actually celebrating today without a thought for Him except at Christmas Day Mass?

We’re not the three kings who travelled a great distance to honour the Child Jesus. We have no gold, no frankincense, no myrrh. But today, there are three other gifts – infinitely more precious to Him – that we can give Him. Best of all? They won’t cost a cent, though they will cost our hearts:)

…so that all might believe through him…

Gift #1

What do we do with the Child in the manger?  Like Mary, His mother, we feed Him, swaddle Him against the cold, dry His sniffles, care for Him in His helplessness, guide Him in the ways of God and Godly people.  We can do all this to Him, for Him, in other people, because that’s where He lives. He told us that Himself, when He gave us the beatitudes and the commandment to love others the way He loves us. 

John the Baptist, His cousin, knew first-hand that Jesus was the Saviour, born among men, out of love, to comfort His people, to redeem Jerusalem (Is 52:9). Through John’s passionate, tireless efforts, people came to believe in Jesus. The Baptist, and the prophets, were the ones through whom God chose to speak to people. Then it was through His Son. Now He asks to speak through us. It’s exciting and terrifying. What if we get it wrong? What if it’s massively uncomfortable and embarrassing?

Remember that Light? Let it shine through everything you say and do. Let it speak for God. Trust it like the Magi did. It’s our turn now to lead others to the Child, the Man-God. 

Make this our first gift to Him.

…He gave power to become children of God…

Gift #2

The Holy Doors are opening. The first one for Jubilee 2025 - in St. Peter's Basilica - has been opened this Christmas Eve by Pope Francis.  It’s a time of hope, conversion, and reconciliation with God and others. The Doors beckon the faithful, the repentant, those desiring to know God, to walk through and find Him with arms outstretched.

God is calling His children home.

We joined in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we could celebrate today, and confessed our sins.  But if you’re anything like me, you might have already racked up some new ones along the way.  How far since Confession might we have fallen from grace?  Maybe not drastically but have we lost patience or our temper, or thought or acted uncharitably?

God is calling us home.

Even if we’re still carrying sins we haven’t confessed (I promise I’ve confessed everything), God already knows and is patiently waiting. Are you making resolutions for the new year? Maybe this last week of 2024, resolve to allow the Jubilee year’s grace to wash you clean. God never shuts His doors. The Child Jesus isn’t threatening. He deserves all the love and respect we can give Him, by freely admitting we need His grace and giving Him back our lives.

Make this our second gift to Him.

… the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…

Gift #3

It’s amazing to reflect on the fact that Jesus was here in the world, leading and guiding the Israelites, way before He came to be born in human flesh. Without a corporeal body, Jesus was at work and at play in the world, delighting in creating the universe with His Father, worshipped by celestial beings. Imagine having to leave all that to enter into poverty and suffering, to live with people whom He knew full well were going to break that same body – just so He could save generations of humankind. 

When He left His human body, He promised to stay for eternity, and so He becomes once again, every day, part of humankind when we take Him into ourselves in the Eucharist. Two thousand years later He’s still here in the world, among us. How amazing is that?

The Son of God makes His dwelling in and among us. We need to anchor ourselves in Him, too. It’s a two-way street, this relationship, isn’t it? Two of like mind and heart, acting as one. He shares His life with us and we can meet Him any time we want: in Scripture, in celebrating the Mass and Sacraments, in spending quality time with Him. How much of our lives are we sharing with Him?  

He was born once, for all people who would accept Him. Let Him be born again in your heart, for you.

And there’s our third gift to Him.

See? Our birthday gifts to Him don’t cost anything. Just a willing, persistent heart, faithfulness, and a deep wellspring of joy in His closeness, no matter how much the darkness claws at us.

Be the light for the Child Jesus. Be His vanguard against the darkness. By your life, be the Star of Bethlehem that leads someone else to love and worship Him. More and more, the darkness in the world threatens to overcome those who struggle against it. They could be people right in our families, our parish, our workplaces or schools, our neighbourhoods.  Today, in this holy season, as we wonder anew at His living presence within us, be the gift to Him that only you can be.

     ‘…the light shines in the darkness,

        and the darkness has not overcome it.’

God the Father, His Son our newborn King, and His ever-present Spirit bless you and your loved ones with overflowing joy and peace this Christmas season!

Jesus is born,

In excelsis Gloria!

Article by Joyce Norma, HFC Blog Contributor