Christmas Day
The four Gospel portraits of Jesus take very different approaches to his origins. Mark has no record of Jesus’ ancestry, except for his connection to John the Baptist. Matthew traces his genealogy back to Abraham; Luke even farther back, to Adam. The Gospel of John outdoes them all, tracing Jesus’ origins back to the time before time, before the world was created! Jesus is the eternal Word of God. The Greek term for “Word” is logos, and it is a word with deep implications. The logos exists before creation, because all of creation came to be through the logos and, in turn, the logos will become the light of all it has created. This is what makes Christmas a season light and life. May our lives radiate this light, reflecting the life-giving Word-made-Flesh. Let our discipleship truly and fully make incarnate once again the Word-in-flesh whom we celebrate and adore: Jesus Christ, our Lord!
THE SEASON OF LIGHT
It is customary to celebrate Christmas with lights of all sorts. This even happens in the southern hemisphere, where people aren’t experiencing the shorter, darker days of northern climates. From little twinkles on Christmas trees to the glow of candles in church, Christmas is a celebration of the light born today in God’s Word-made-flesh. As with other types of lights, the Christ-light takes on different forms. Sometimes its light is direct, while at other times it is a reflection. The lights of Christmas, like Jesus the Light of the world, offer comfort, ease fears, show us the way, and help us to see that God is present here. While we believe that Jesus is the light that no darkness can overcome, it can seem at times it seems as though the gloom around us is overcoming the light. We all are familiar with darkness’s different forms that seem to bombard us daily, hourly—minute by minute, if we allow them to. And yet . . .
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
The relentless daily reports of darkness can easily lead us not to see the many glimmers of light around us. We who follow the Christ-light must always be on alert for signs of that light around us. Likewise, we who have that Christ-light in us must let it shine forth. No matter how little we think our light may be, we must recall that it is the light of Christ we bear within us. Like John the Baptist in today’s Gospel passage, we are meant to testify to the power of light, to help others see glimpses of God-with-us. Our actions must bear good news, they must announce glad tidings. Even small deeds of light can shine brightly, giving birth to Jesus once again each day. On Christmas day and every day we are called to be people of hope, messengers of peace who offer comfort and make God’s glory known. Let the light of Christ in your life be one of the season’s brightest!