Christmas Day 2013 Dawn Mass
The dawn is breaking. At Dawn it is not fully light but we know the full light is coming. So we have hope that whatever still needs to happen will happen.
Christmas inspires hope in us. But then we are accustomed to having hopes disappointed. Is Christmas just a symbol of goodwill or does it contain real power?
We could say Christmas not only makes us feel good but actually makes us good. God wants to save us and He gives us the power to live as ‘saved’ people should. The coming of Christ into the world can and should be a new start for humanity.
We get the sense that when Jesus freed someone from sin in His earthly ministry those people would not have returned to their previous lives. The woman caught in adultery; Zacchaeus the tax collector; the Good Thief, those set free from demons... These people experienced a major change of direction when the hand of the Lord came upon them. Filled with joy their lives were never going to be the same. They were not just forgiven but transformed.
And Our Lord did this not just for a few people here and there but in principle for all people of all time.
Salvation is not just for the next life but this one also. We begin right now to experience its benefits.
Other events can give us joy but the joy usually fades away. With Christmas we have a different reality; a joy that cannot be taken away. The world has been changed for us even if we ignore it, or deny it.
But why ignore such a benefit?
We can build on what we have and complete the process. We are joyful in anticipation, that what we have not yet achieved is about to be achieved.
We do not allow the cynicism of the world to sweep away what we have.
When parents hold a newborn baby they hold it like it was a precious item, protecting it from the cold or the sun, or any danger. So it is with us and the Christ-child.
We are holding a treasure here. Don't drop it, don't waste it, don't lose it. Carry this child like your life depended on it; and not just your life but everyone else’s.
If we came across a medicine that would cure all the world’s diseases what care would we not take to ensure that it was kept safe?
We protect the spiritual dimension of this feast not allowing it to become just another event that will quickly pass, and leave us as before.
We dare to hope for a better world, where the better side of human nature is evident. Where families are happy, the streets are safe, the world is at peace etc.
It sounds like a dream but it is real if we let it be.
In Christ we have the grace for renewal of our own lives and for the wider society.
We are bearers of Christ to the world. It is not ourselves we proclaim, but Christ.
Always conscious of our own limitations we proclaim that He has NO limitations. The messenger may be humble but the message is irresistible.
Despite obstacles we will not allow ourselves to be discouraged. We will not be moved by just any wind that blows.
We can do this only with His help. So as we celebrate His coming we are also asking that He give us faith, hope and charity, to overcome every obstacle, and to persevere until better times.
He has come and nothing can undo that fact. And once He has come all His other plans must reach fulfilment. This is the source of our joy, a joy which nothing can take away.
No comments:
Post a Comment