“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of goodwill.”
This is the peace message that we are receiving on the Christmas Season. As we know during the Lenten Season we have the Way of the Cross that we are remembering the sufferings and death of Jesus, walking along the sufferings of Jesus. But in the Christmas Season we may not be remembering just like the Way of the Cross but on things that is happening in Bethlehem. The Annunciation to Mary and the visitation of Mary, the Shepherd’s coming into Bethlehem, and the very journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and the different attitudes the people had.
Now when we are looking at the image of Bethlehem, this is also giving us an invitation to our own hearts to respond to that image of Bethlehem. The long-awaited Messiah has come. But now how do I find this Messiah when he comes into my own life? Now we see Mary and Joseph themselves, and there are different people who are finding, even the Kings, the wise men who left their own country and coming in to meet this great sign appeared in heaven. The fulfillment of this sign they are finding in the form of a small child, that also this child is not found neither in the temple nor in the palace but in the very ordinary situation in a manger. And the ordinary shepherds, who visited first, were rejected by the society, considered as thieves and they would have been neglected by everyone. But these are the people who found very meaning in their life, they hear a child is born.
We understand this was a message came from the Angels. And they are finding a peace message in their own hearts, and the peace comes from the people, and they are the people of goodwill and their goodwill is leading them to the Messiah. There are celebrations in their life, there is simplicity and generosity in their life, there is that touching the softness that they are coming into Manger.
In our ordinary life situations we also can find this appearance of God’s divinity coming in human flesh in the commandment “Do this in remembrance of me.” God from all his glory he is coming down in a human form, a simple form of a child. In this humble form Jesus is telling each one of them “I need you”. So if God comes and tells the humankind that “I need you”, all our glory and all our power, our message, our pleading to each one of the society in this Christmas season is that we need each other. We needed to take care of each one of us, and then alone we can enter into the Manger of our own heart where Jesus is to be born.
So in our response to this invitation looking at the manger, we also can enter into the depths the mystery of this incarnation through our preparation like the wise men. May the Child who is born for us help us to be a people of goodwill, and experience the joy of the Manger, and become humble and simple with one another.
We the Rosarians remain very thankful to all of our dear parishioners of St. Patrick’s, for the dedication and faithfulness you show in your responsibilities and the collective work you do for the growth of our Church. We hope that we continue to support each other to grow in our spiritual lives. We also encourage you to find your own time to prepare spiritually for welcoming the Child Jesus through your works of charity and love.
With much love, we extend to you, prayerful wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Very Happy New Year! God bless you and your families at this time of grace.
The Rosarian Fathers