«I bring you good news of great joy for all the people: today a Savior has been born to you, He is the Messiah and the Lord» (cf. Lk 2:10-11).
The Angel said this to the shepherds and they ran in haste to see and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. They all were astonished and returned giving glory and praise to God. The Magi from the East, at the end of their journey, «when they saw the star again, they were filled with great joy and saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt and worshiped him and offered their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh» (cf. Mt 2:10-11).
The Catholic Tradition, according to each country, has transmitted to us expressions, signs and customs of joy and rejoicing in the celebration of Christmas. Here in Spain, an endearing word has been created: “Nochebuena”, it is the Christmas Eve family dinner, something intimate and sacred; it is the night of «Christmas carols» and of the “Misa de Gallo”, Christmas Mass at midnight; although in some places and due to different circumstances is celebrated some hours in advance.
It is surprising and pleasant to note that Christmas, as a time of celebration and joy, has spread throughout the world; whether for commercial or for some other reasons, cities are filled with lights and colors, and family celebrations multiply. In a word, Christmas is a friendly and festive time in today’s world, but, perhaps for most, with no connection to faith nor to the birth of Jesus.
For us believers, Christmas is Jesus himself. The reason for our joy is the contemplation of the Incarnation: God entered our history to free us from our sin and make us sharers in His Divine Sonship. He pitched his tent in our midst to become part of our lives, to heal our wounds and give us new life. Joy is the fruit of this intervention of salvation and the love of God in us.
CHRISTMAS, THE TENDERNESS OF GOD
We can see to the Son of God, made one of us, in the gentleness and weakness of a newborn baby and, furthermore, in the conditions of extreme poverty; a sensitive manifestation of the immense tenderness of God. It was St. Francis of Assisi who intensely lived this dimension: «In preference to other solemnities, he celebrated with ineffable joy that of the birth of the child Jesus; he called it the feast of feasts, in which God, made a little child, was raised at the breasts of a human mother. He pictured in his mind images of the child, which he kissed with eagerness; and the compassion for the child, which had penetrated his heart, made him even to babble words of tenderness in the manner of children. And this name was for him like honey and honeycomb in his mouth» (2 Celano 199).
Later, a follower of Francis, St. Bonaventure, wrote in the same line and in the medieval spirituality of the holy humanity of Jesus, the booklet “The Five Festivals of the Child Jesus”, one of which, that of the Holy Name of Jesus, passed into the Liturgy. Moreover, two years before his death, Francis left us another great testimony: Christmas approaches, he is in the village of Greccio, and moved by his great love and devotion, he represents the Nativity of Jesus according to the Gospel data and with the people of the village: it was the first living Nativity scene, a visible and palpable example of his spirituality of the tenderness of God that later became the universal Christian tradition of “Nativity scene” representation (cf. 1Cel 84-86).
JOY FOR ALL: Meeting and Sharing
In the angel’s message we are told that the joy announced is for all the people, that is to say, the joy of Christmas implies encounter, communication, shared joy and celebration; there is no feast in solitude, for a feast requires a meeting of people to share life and to share goods as an exchange of gifts.
The Christmas of the poor
But, particularly, because of our faith, love and justice, joy must reach the poorest and neediest thanks to the generous sharing of all with what each one has. This is what is done in all parishes and institutions, «the Christmas of the poor,» so that joy may reach everyone. This is also the sensibility of St. Francis: «He wanted that on that day the rich should feed the poor and hungry in abundance, and that the oxen and donkeys should have more fodder and grass than usual. ‘If I come to speak to the emperor,’ he said, ‘I will beg him to issue a general decree that all the well-to-do be obliged to throw wheat and grain on the roads, so that on such a great solemnity the little birds, especially the sister larks, may have plenty’ (2 Celano 200). Poetry and mysticism, yes, but is translated into concrete actions!
And the joy of fraternity
In civil society, in addition to family encounters, other meetings are becoming common at the level of members of organizations, work, etc. Christmas is an invitation to a festive gathering. As believers, it would be very positive to prepare these meetings in religious communities, groups, etc.
How do we want to live spiritually and festively this intimate and beautiful time? With the different initiatives, we can have very pleasant surprises: carols, cribs, decorations, visits… It will be very beautiful to live our Christmas with St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary in the Bethlehem Portal. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
“¡Sing to the Lord with shouts of joy because He sent His beloved Son from on high and He was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and He was placed in a manger because He had no room in the Inn. Glory to the Lord God in the highest and on earth, peace to all men of good will! “ (St. Francis of Assisi – cf. OfP, Psalm XV).
SR. Mª ELENA ECHAVARREN SORBET, TC