Sr. Mary Thadavanal MSMHC –
“Christmas” seems to be the word almost on everyone’s lips whatever the reasons – commercial, holidaying, picnicking, purchases, celebrations, get-togethers and maybe a host of others. Colours, joy, fun, laughter, eagerness – all reverberate in the air. It may have nothing to do with ‘Jesus Christ’, who is the reason for Christmas.
If only we could take a moment from frenzied activities and movements to quiet ourselves, to cast a lingering look at the figure lying in the manger – Jesus Christ – we would realize that before our very eyes lie the panacea for all problems afflicting humans which began with the fall of Adam and Eve who enjoyed a sinless existence living in the company of God until they believed the lie of Satan. How efficiently Satan did manage to make them believe his lie over and against what God had told them! Paradise was lost to them even before they realized it, and life was changed. What followed was the absence of God’s ‘presence’, struggle and misery, tears and pain, confusion and arrogance not only in the life of Adam and Eve but in all generations that followed. We humans can only sin but cannot redeem ourselves nor build up the gap between us and God created by us. The kind and compassionate God sent his Son, to redeem us, to atone for our sins unable to see eternal death opening its ugly mouth to swallow his children alive. Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father was sent to restore our original beauty and dignity by giving up his life on the cross in exchange for our (humanity’s) sin-filled life, to get us washed clean in His precious Blood, to re-instate love in our hearts, thus to make us fit for eternal life with him.
The Crib we are looking at reminds us of that act of unspeakable love human minds can never grasp. Born in human form in the lowliest of places Jesus came to tell us that we who are created in the image and likeness of God are made for God; we don’t belong to this world but are created for another world of unfading glory to live forever with him, enjoying the beatific vision of our eternal God. Two thousand and more years have passed since that event of God becoming man to make a man like God.
The man continues to be drawn away from the source of life. The never resting Satan continues his machinations. Raging in his anger and jealousy Satan has managed to blind the world to the truth of what God has done for humanity and is still doing and numbed its senses successfully making it believe the lie that this world is all that is there. Having taken possession of human minds Satan has fed them with everything that destroys life and drags immortal souls to eternal damnation, robbing it of the sense of God. Oppressed by the pain of lovelessness and emotional wounds, and captivated by the promise of instantaneous pleasures and enjoyment vast number of youth and adults are taken captive by evil forces unaware of what awaits them. By the pressure of the enchanting world of pleasures, they are brought into, they continue to wean themselves from their families, leaving parents and elders with no say over them. Victimized by abuses, pornography, suicidal tendencies and dangerous ideologies of all types they find themselves in a chaotic land of misery, confusion, division, conflicts, lovelessness, greed and selfishness and a host of other vices losing at the end of life itself to eternal death. Families are breaking up and losing their impact on the members. Parental care, respect and affection, generosity and warmth, freedom and openness, serenity and simplicity, and Godliness and holiness are no longer the hallmark of Christian families. While social media has many benefits, overexposure to dangerous zones has destroyed lives and consequently families.
If we are to look at the families we have known, visited and are in touch with, how many of them are homes where love sparkles on faces, and warmth fills the home atmosphere? Aren’t there many houses with individuals, but no homes where the family lives in loving relationships?
Somewhere in the back of our minds can we hear the sad tone of God, saying “How often have I longed to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you were not willing” (Mt 23:37).
Jesus is the only one who can rescue all families (Acts 16:31) from the perilous dungeon in which they find themselves. He is the Saviour. He is the one who offered himself in sacrifice to atone for the sins of every person on earth paying our debt with his life (Heb 9:14-27) and securing eternal life with his resurrection (Mt 28:5-6). No one else can ever do this for anyone in the world. Jesus bought us by paying the price of his Blood; we are his and we belong to him alone. Individuals and families must know this truth and be helped to regain what they lost: the warmth of the family relationship, peace, joy and hope. They need to listen to the Good News that their God is waiting for them with open hands to embrace them into his love, wiping away their tears and pain. God wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). Families need to be accompanied all along and helped to meet Jesus in his Word and the Sacraments, to establish an unbreakable connection between them, to create a thirst in them to read his Word every day.
If this is done, once again parents and children will sit together, to listen to God’s life-giving Word (Ps 119:25) and experience the joy of the Lord no one else can give or take away from their hearts and their midst (Jn 15:11, 16:22; Ps 16:11). Their only joy will be to know God and to love him with their whole being (Ps 1; 1 Cor 2:2) and to speak about him. Their laughter will resound in the air. Together they can look at the manger and see the radiant faces of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, clad in simplicity and humility, poverty and obedience. They can witness the richness of the silence and serenity there and the heavenly light from the star lighting up the sacred space. Enveloped in the presence of God and the reassurance of Salvation he came to give life will begin to sprout in every member and they will stay close to the family in the manger drawing love and inspiration from them. There they will have the grace of handing over their lives to Saviour and experience the awe-inspiring presence of God’s Spirit taking over their lives and their families. The sap of life will begin to flow into them. ‘Their words will be filled with kindness, charity and love. With such words spoken under the influence of the Spirit tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail’ (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign, May 2007).
But who will do this for them, who will show the way, if those sent by Jesus are cold, with no warmth of God’s Spirit in them? If they are lost in their own differences and opinions? If Christmas makes no sense to them except that it is an annual ritual? If they are not able to see the sacred space turned shabby? If their values and priorities are limited to this world? if their own families are crumbled down with arguments and egotism? Without feeling the urgency of the Gospel and the passion to proclaim it?
Life is full of noise. There is no more silence between men and women from all walks of life. It’s all deadening noise inside. In such noise, individuals and families fall apart. How many can sit quietly for a while? Externally one may but what about the bustle of the inner noise? Jesus says, ‘Be still and know that I am God’” (Ps 46:10). Without the ability to be still, being cut off from all else, how can we know God, feel his presence, hear his words!!
And yet his Words give direction to life.
Recently a friend said to me, ‘live ‘King’s silence’ and he will take you to a different level of existence. What wisdom is packed into these words!
Yes, the King of Kings stood silent before his tormentors. Nothing he said could enter their fixed minds. His truth, his presence, his awesome serenity before accusers, abuses and mockery, scourging and slaps, at the piercing of sharp thorns which dug deep into his head, speak volumes.
Today’s need is to imbibe this quality of silence, to sit in his presence, to absorb his priorities, to be invaded by his Spirit, to be transformed by his love, to be able to meet families and individuals in their houses, workplaces, institutions, offices, on the streets and markets, to listen to them until they have poured out all that is suffocating them. Problems could then be sorted out, marriages strengthened, spiritual energy revived and families built up. Seekers of the living God will increase, Carlo Acuti’s and Maria Goretti’s will multiply and the Kingdom will be established on the strong foundation of unshakable Faith.