The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
By Beth DeCristofaro
Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems
Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy
arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the
salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:9-10)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things came to
be through him, and without him nothing came to be. …[T]o those who did accept
him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s
decision but of God. (John 1:1-3, 12-13)
Piety
O God, we pray with
the Holy Father Pope Francis. “That the
birth of the Redeemer may bring peace and hope to all people of good will.”
Study
“Are you ready for
Christmas?” We ask each other this at
cashier lines, in workplaces, drinking coffee after Mass. This year I’ve had some trouble answering
because, in fact, I am rarely ready in the sense of gifts bought and wrapped
(HAH!), menu planned (what did you say you wanted for vegetables, Mom?), house
cleaned (HAH! Again) and so on. But this
year my Advent has been one of intense awareness, prayer-time and
struggle. Recurring themes for me have
been courage, consent and come as I
have read and prayed on the liturgical readings. My job, working with the very ill and their
families, has brought me again and again to the Truth of the holy Birth that
even in death we have the promise of eternal life and joy in the midst of sorrow.
In a spiritual sense
I am ready for Christmas but am also not ready to let go of the season of
preparation. In the Christmas Mass
during the Night, Isaiah promises the people:
For the yoke that burdened them, the
pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on
the day of Midian. (Isaiah 9:3). How
can we not raise our heads in joy?
Action
Living daily with
Advent mindfulness is preparation and readiness. Sr. Joan Chittister suggests that “Christmas
moves us to recommit ourselves to re-form our minuscule worlds to take in
Christ the homeless child, the outcast, the refugee … Christmas will come to us
in its fullness when we welcome into the human race all those we persistently
see as lesser, and cry, ‘Peace to God’s people on earth.’” In what ways can we remain mindful of our
“Christmas readiness,” joyfully welcoming others into readiness?
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