CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2008

By Most Rev. Donald J. Reece

“The word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us” [John 1: 14]

As we bring down the curtain on the Advent Season when “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” has been our signal tune, and enter upon the Christmas festivities, our hearts are filled with exhilarating joy and much euphoria. Hopefully that euphoria and joy will be more than superficial, and will become infectious in our attitude and our relationships, especially as we reconnect with family members, friends, and those needing our attention during this season of generosity.  That generosity is to reflect the biblical text that is so appropriate for the Christmas season: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” [John 3:16].  Such generous love beyond all telling!

However, if we are not carefully, the joyful Christmas festivities could become the be all and end all of the Incarnation of God’s only begotten Son, so that when we “eat and drink,” tomorrow the Spirit of Christmas will slowly die.  To avoid that, I recommend that we keep uppermost in our minds another biblical text that has great significance for our everyday existence and Christian living: “The Word was made flesh, and pitched His Tent—or—dwelt amongst us.”  I wish to invite you to capture the Christmas Spirit of love, joy, and peace, and to journey along with me into the New Year with these words reverberating in our minds and hearts.  Why do I wish to focus on these words which we say each day in the Angelus when we remember how Jesus the Saviour burst forth upon the human stage.  The Old Testament Book of Wisdom puts it so very well: “While all was in quiet silence and the night was in the middle of its course, your almighty Word leapt down from the Royal Throne—a stern warrior to a doomed world” [Wisdom 18: 14 – 15].

Once the Word has pitched his tent amongst us, he wishes to remain with us as Emmanuel, God-with-us.  But more than that!  As Christians who not only admire the Christ-Child lying in the Manger, but rather follow and emulate Him who has “pitched his tent amongst us,” we begin to grasp the profound significance of this Presence of the Word in our daily life, ministry, and loving service to others.  We cannot but come to the realization that we are the means or agents through whom Jesus is proclaimed, Jesus is lived and Jesus becomes a visitor in every nook and cranny of our society.

(c) copyright, 2008,  roman catholic archdiocese of kingston, jamaica, west indies