Celebrating Christmas in the Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekara

Christmas 2012 is special, for we are celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour during the ‘Year of Faith’ declared by Pope Benedict XVI. Christmas in its core is nothing but the Incarnation which is a mystery of faith par excellence!

St. John the beloved apostle announces this perennial and popular Christian festival commemorating the wonderful Mystery of the Incarnation and held worldwide at the year’s end, in the Prologue of his Gospel with the words: “And the Word became Flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth ….from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:14-16).

It is part and parcel of a beautiful hymn about Christ embedded in very early Christian Liturgy proclaiming a radical mystery of Faith. Much earlier in the written collection of the New Testament writings, we find St. Paul mentioning the dawn of the fullness of time of Grace and divine intervention in history when he writes in one of his major letters: “But, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children” (Galatians 4:4-5). And so, divinity had assumed humanity and taken on its dignity, making itself similar to us in all things, except sin.

Creed at Mass

It is true that today the idolatrous tide of commercialism viciously continues to violate the profound mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, a truth of faith that we confess every Sunday when we recite together the Creed at Mass. It has gone so pitiable, that even many believers have lost touch with the august nature of this Christian truth. However, from those of devout heart and serene mind, the depths of the mystery can never be snatched away.

In fact, we know that it is a divine intervention that elevates and gives an unparalleled dignity to our sinful human nature. We have thus become partakers of the divine nature as St. Peter teaches in his letter (2 Peter 1:4). St. John paraphrases it more poignantly when he writes: “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it (1 John 1:1-2). No wonder therefore, that it is an event that cascades with joy and jubilant exultation.

‘Magnificat’

Mary, the Mother of Jesus herself gave vent to her exuberant feelings when she sang on her visit to cousin Elizabeth for the first time her “Magnificat” – my soul glorifies the Lord for he has done great things for me and Holy is his name.

Simeon, the seer of Jerusalem temple in anxious expectation of the Messiah to be revealed, took the child of Nazareth in his hands and with a spirit that burst forth in thanksgiving exclaimed: “Now you can dismiss your servant, O Lord, for my eyes have seen Your salvation.” It was grace palpable in his very hands and eyes glowing in contemplation of the Word made flesh! And hear a mother’s cry: “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that suckled you!” that is found in three out of the four Gospels.

Two curious disciples of John the Baptist struck by the imposing personality of Jesus who had descended into the waters of the Jordan to be baptised, followed him at his beckoning and stayed with him that night that provided them with their first long encounter with the Lord. John the Baptist himself beheld the Son of God and did he not exclaim: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” He was stunned to see the Spirit descend upon him, as he came out of the water after the baptism.

This is the real story of Christmas, the unique birth of the one who means so much to us, indeed our all. It is a far cry, then, from the celluloid Christmas and its external pomp, glow and glitter that continue to swindle the worldlings’ imagination. Ask a simple devotee who makes it to the humble crib of wattle and hay. Watch him kiss with profound emotion and great devotion the statue of the little babe placed in the manger, and you will realise what Christmas really is.

Paradoxical experience

Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) an eminent Lutheran theologian and student of religious anthropology in his work “The idea of the Holy,” now considered a classic, said, that the sense of the “Sacred” or the “Holy” is both fearful to behold and fascinatingly attractive at the same time. It is a paradoxical experience. Moses realised it at Mount Sinai at the Burning Bush and so does Joshua his successor, when about to step into Jericho, the border area of the Promised Land.

Mystics such as Saints Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross have attested to this same experience. So did the three Kings who ventured from the East in search of the Messiah, the King of the Jews. They went down in spontaneous adoration at the manger and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

We are told an umpteen number of times, that the Mother of Jesus could not comprehend certain events connected with her Son’s life, but prayerfully pondered them over in her heart, the contemplative soul she was.

The reply that Jesus gave as a 12 year old, when lost at the temple, and the scene of the miracle of Cana were some of those revelations that were granted to her.

The wonderful thing is that the Mother of Jesus lived through that entire span from the night of Bethlehem to the dark hours of Calvary with this mystery kept in the innermost recesses of her mind and heart!

Let us ponder

As we celebrate Christmas during this ‘Year of Faith’, we can ponder over its particular relevance and its challenges that confront us. It is a night that starred our hope of peace and salvation. Its reference will be more manifest, as Luke the Evangelist records the scene of Jesus walking into his own family-synagogue of Nazareth on a Sabbath day to take up the scroll of Isaiah and declare that the prophecy about glad tidings heralded to the poor as well as sight bestowed to the blind, release to the captives and the Grand Year of Divine Blessings is about to be fulfilled in him.

It was worth getting amazed in wonder and feasting one’s eyes upon the son of Mary and Joseph, for indeed the Messiah had appeared in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19).

Bartimaeus, the blind man at the gates of Jericho received his sight, gazed on Him and saw the face of God (Mark 10:46-52). Virtue went out of Him to heal the woman who had an issue of blood for 18 long years when she reached out to touch the hem of his garment (Luke 8:43-48).

St. Paul on his journey to Damascus, intent on persecuting the believers, heard Him as he fell off his horse and was struck blind. It marked the beginning of his conversion! (Acts 9:1-10).

Today, in the helpless babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger in the backyard of the inn in Bethlehem, we all stand in wonder as the Word of God become Flesh. The tiny infant is God in miniature.

The angelic chorus bursts forth from the stillness of the sky in praise of God with the song announcing peace on earth to all people of goodwill. The shepherds are summoned to the crib to which they hasten to feast their eyes on the Messiah who is born.

The Wise Men journey from the Far-East with gifts, guided by a strange star that lights up their path to Bethlehem like the white cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led the wandering people of Israel across the waters of the Red Sea and the wilderness of unknown territories to the promised land of Canaan. God walked with them (Exodus 13:21-22).

Christmas this year

The city of Bethlehem buzzing with massive crowds pouring in for the census decreed by Emperor Augustus Caesar completely missed out on this wonderful event that came to pass at her gates that exceptional night of light.

But Mary who already got the news at the moment when the Angel Gabriel came to her as well as Joseph her husband, the just man who knew the secret of his wife’s motherhood, together with the humble shepherds who watched their flocks, the marginalised of society and the wise men who could read the star and its guidance - these did behold the mystery of the first Silent and Holy Christmas Night.

Who will see the real Christmas and its Babe with the light of Faith this time too? Not those who wallow in its wild and worldly celebration, but the meek and humble of heart: They who will reach the cribs of hay and wattle that bevy all the nooks and corners of our world!

This year’s Christmas festival brings us all the opportunity and grace of celebrating our Christian Faith in the Mystery of Incarnation - God became man for us and for our salvation. It is a veritable jewel in the crown of the ‘Year of Faith’. What greater joy can we celebrate and share with the rest of mankind!

The ‘Year of Faith’ will beckon us to read the deeper meaning of Christmas wherein we see human dignity exalted to its zenith and the solidarity of mankind brought to sharp focus.

Christianity embraces humanity and its civilisation. Its sole message is the pledge of life in its plenitude to all who are of goodwill. The ‘Year of faith’ empowers us to see that this dream comes true. Christmas thus transforms the ‘Year of faith’ in praise of the dignity of man.