Posted on December 20, 2015 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Praised be Jesus Christ!
This coming Friday we will celebrate the commemoration of the Nativity of the Lord. When God took on human flesh and became a man at the moment of His conception in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, He forever altered the course of human history.
When Adam and Eve took and ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree, they altered history in such a way that cut their children off from God. When Christ became Incarnate, he began to undo the effects of their sin and offered to us the possibility to not only enter into a relationship with God again, but to become His adopted sons and daughters.
The Annunciation and subsequently Christmas Day set off a whole range of events that ultimately led to our redemption. Christ brought a light into the world that previously had not existed. The darkness ruled the earth, and men and women were enslaved to the ways of the world. We were slaves to our passions, slaves to our possessions, slaves to each other. Christ offers us freedom from these things, if we willingly embrace his gift.
We no longer need to be enslaved, because Christ the light has shown in the darkness. He sheds light on places that were once hidden and consumed by darkness. These places still exist in the world today, and we are so often tempted to return to the darkness, but this joyous day should remind us of the great blessings that have been given to us in Christ. There are those who call out and beckon for us to return to the darkness, seeking to drag us backwards. Under the guise of progress and civilization, the same elements of slavery are presented to us in new ways. They are the same darknesses that Christ came to shed light on and call all to his marvelous light.
Baptism has called us to something higher. It has called us to be like God Himself. Christ has told us that we are no longer slaves to our passions, to the ways of the world, and has offered to us the only goal we should truly strive for, that of Eternal Life. Christ was born and later died on the Cross to save us from this darkness. On this coming Christmas Day, may we be thankful for this gift that he has offered to us. May we resolve to constantly struggle to remain in the light, and to allow no passion, struggle, or society, to drag us back into the darkness.
Christ came because of the deep love that He has for us and, because of this love, calls us to something higher. He pointed out our faults and called us to something higher because of the deep love He had for us. May we return this love this Christmas and vow to remain in the light! Have a blessed week ahead and a Merry Christmas!
