Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, OMI: “Christmas”
Originally Published in 2015 for the Belleville Diocesan newspaper, The Messenger, for Spanish-speaking people in the Diocese of Belleville, we’re re-posting this still-relevant Christmas reflection from Fr. Gonzalez Click here to read the article en Español
At Christmas, as in every Sunday, we profess with a clear and transparent faith: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and became man “(Nicene Creed).
Christmas is the celebration of a mystery that marked and continues to mark the history of humankind; that God has touched our lives and our view of faith by coming to dwell among us, actually becoming one of us, this is why it’s a mystery that touches on our existence and provokes our faith. The birth of Jesus and the salvation that the Son of God brings is always as real as the possibility to know and experience the love that God has for us:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1John 4:9)
During the Christmas liturgy, people in parishes throughout the world are reminded of the joy and the light that the birth of Jesus brings us all. We hear the words during Mass: “Today is born our Savior; Christ the Lord” … “Today a great light has come upon the earth” … “Today shines to the world the wonderful exchange which saves us “…” Today is born Jesus, Today appeared the Savior on earth Today angels sing, Today jump for joy the righteous “…” will shine a light on us, because he has us born the Lord “…
God has come to us in that baby born in Bethlehem. We can find Him now in a now that has no end. Reflect on this – When the Eternal God entered the boundaries of time and space, He made it possible for us today to encounter Him. The results of the salvation wrought by Christ are always present, affecting every man and woman of all time. When we say and hear “Today is born our Savior”, we mean that God offers us “today” right now. Every one of us, is given the ability to recognize and welcome Him as did the simple shepherds of Bethlehem. He is born in our lives and renews, illuminates, and transforms us with His presence.
What a gift to us is the knowledge that the birth of Jesus and the salvation that he comes to bring is always present!
At Christmas I invite you all, in your homes and communities, to renew the devotion of meeting in front of the crib. Let us renew the joy of believing and let us share the joy of living the tenderness and love of God who wants to encounter us. God wants to meet us, to lead us to Him.
God has entered our history, becoming a human like us. He asks that we join Him in friendship and solidarity in our actions and our lives. As we celebrate the birth of the Child Jesus, we pray for all. We ask that we never lose sight of the hope of Christmas and that it never goes out of our lives.
Let us wish each other a Merry Christmas! It is the expression of the joy and peace of knowing that God is always near and wants to walk with us down the path of life. Amen.