Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Poem) -by Fr. Larry Gosselin, ofm Come to day! Come to night! Come new light! See things invisible. Just as a nightingale, which brings harmony, to night and to day, that should you close your eyes, one does not know, whether it is day or night. They are the same. Come to day, Come to night. “Sing a new song unto the Lord.” Today, tonight is born our Savior. Now there were shepherds in that region keeping night watch over their flock of sheep. Suddenly they heard and saw multitude of angels praising God, singing in the night a new song of day. “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace to all.” In a simple, obscure Italian hillside, St. Francis assembled cows, sheep, oxen which brought to light; to day and to night, the joy of Christmas might, new-born child given for all, the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus, Come into our days Come into our nights. Come to us as new light. Larry Gosselin, O.F.M. Christmas 2014 “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy…” This is the glorious proclamation made to the shepherds tending their sheep, upon the gentle hills surrounding Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. And this proclamation of “good news of great joy” has never diminished in its character, effectiveness, and power to transmit hope, joy, promise and peace with the passing of time, circumstances, challenges, and people. It is both simple and profound in its meaning and essence. This proclamation to these simple shepherds compelled them to go, seek out, and find the child that had been born under this star of glory. They could not resist this impelling and compelling announcement. How could they resist not to want to find this new born child of hope. How can anyone resist to see the face of this child of such a glorious promise. Yet, each face, each person, each new born infant offers us this face of promise. Two days ago, December 23, I had the privilege and joy of being with two special people, newly made friends, Trudy and Dometri as their newborn son came to birth. The baby arrived two days early, it’s due-date was today, Christmas day. So this child was rightly thought as a very special of God. What great joy it was for me, to look into the embryonic face of this newly born child for the first time, and to witness the wonder of life, and to see that same wonder reflected in his parents faces as their hearts filled with inexpressible joy. And in that moment of giving birth, the lives of everyone was forever changed. Trudy the mother, no longer felt the pain of child birth, she was filled with overwhelming joy that another had been born into the world. The young husband, Dometri, was equally changed, he was no longer just a husband, he was now immediately changed and made, a father, as was his wife, now she was also a mother. We were all changed into new roles of relationship in a birth of a child. We somehow become related together because of a birth that we were privilege to witness. At this Christmas Mass we all feel that God is very close to us, and very loving towards us. And in this we also feel a closeness to one another. All this happens because a child was born to us, God was brought near to us, and now through this child has brought us to be near to one another. In this birth we are all changed. We become related to one another with a new purpose and a place with each other. We are all changed as we hear that first cry that came forth from that baby at birth. Christmas affects us all. Christmas gathers us into a great universal fellowship in the presence of the precious new born child. Christ turns a stranger into a friend, a foreigner into family, even an enemy into a sister or brother. On Christmas we are one with everyone. In this sense the birth of Jesus truly brings about “good news of great joy.” But it is also a disturbing joy. For this joy can and will turn things upside down. It is and will be a joy that compels one to give their life for this child, that brings them such a life changing, life altering, and infallible experience. This is the One who has been given to us, and the One in whom we are to be in relationship, with and through this birth of Jesus. I am deeply struck by the incredible Christian witness of the people who are presently today suffering under sectarian violence that is taking place in Iraq and Syria, as people are being called to stand up and make a life giving choice for their faith. I am personally emotional deeply moved by the stories coming out, of very young children being given the ultimate choice of standing true and strong to their belief in Christ, or facing being killed on spot, and saying, “We love Jesus, and choose Jesus.” And in this proclaiming of their faith, they were brutally executed on the spot. This belief in not a fantasy, nor is it fanaticism, nor is it infantile, it is real and it is life-changing. Thanks be to God we do not have those kind of challenges facing us here. But we do have challenges! Our challenge is to know and live that same compelling experience that we have been privileged to see, know, and witness in the new born face of Jesus. And in this we are changed! We are all now family to each other. And in each face we see, may we recognize the face of Jesus. On this day, the world shines with meaning and hope. On this day, we are given a child to help us live and love, as Jesus will show us how to live and love. And this is happens and is possible because of the “good news of great joy” that was announced to the shepherds, and is now announced to us. “Today a Savior has been born to us, he is Christ the Lord.” May you share Christmas with those whom you love and those who love you. May your hearts be filled with great joy. Merry Christmas!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 13:15:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015