People, Priests and Popes
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Christmas Then and Now
by Father Robert Hermley, O.S.F.S
The infant Jesus came into the world that first Christmas to bring forgiveness and peace to a world which had grown cold to religious ideals. But the people of Bethlehem were too busy with parties, drinking and tending to their own ease and comfort to worry or even give a second glance to Mary in her condition. Filled with a spirit of selfishness and worldliness, people had no room nor time for the Prince of Peace.
The world had long awaited His coming. The prophets had foretold where, and the circumstances of His miraculous birth. The star was to catch the eyes of all to remind them of its meaning, but the worldly had long ago put aside the spiritual, and had come under the influence of a new age dedicated to wealth, the flesh and the desire to be free of Roman rule. Certainly, they thought, the Messiah, when he came, would drive out their enemies. As Moses had delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, so the Messiah would come with power and majesty to make all their enemies pay for the insults heaped upon the chosen people. He would establish a worldly empire.
Centuries before, however, God the Father had decreed that in the fullness of time, He would send His only Son into the world to show people that there is a worse servitude than slavery. It is the bondage of sin. There is a worse suffering than disease; it is leprosy of the soul. There is a worse darkness than physical blindness; it is being blind to God's commandments. A worse deafness than not hearing is deafness to God's voice calling us to a higher life of holiness. A worse poverty than having no money is a poverty of spirit, leaving us unhappy, devoid of love and brotherly consideration. There is a worse death than dying; it is the death of soul experienced by one who refuses the covenant God made with mankind long ago. God had told the people all this through the prophets, but they were stoned, belittled and ridiculed. Now it was time to send His Son to announce the good news.
The way of salvation was to be through a narrow gate, the master was to be the servant of all, and the greatest wealth was to be the kind where neither moth destroys nor rust corrodes, and blessed were the poor in spirit and the pure of heart. He had come unto His own and His own received Him not.
There were a few, nevertheless, who had read the Scriptures and kept the Commandments, who were watching and waiting. The angels welcomed Him that first Christmas night, and they were so happy that they went out to the countryside and sang their "Glory to God in the highest." The shepherds listened, and followed their advice to look for an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Somewhere in the East, wise men had seen the star and followed it. Today's exegetes like to call them astrologers, but they were wise nonetheless, because they knew the meaning of that particular star. The star was visible to all, but only the wise chose to heed it.
Christ came that first Christmas and was virtually ignored. What a chance was missed! Anyone could have brought Mary and Joseph to their home, seeing her condition, and what a blessing would have been bestowed on that house — but His own received Him not.
Every year, however, as we celebrate His birth again, the Christ Child leaves Heaven to see if mankind has changed. He searches the earth to see if anyone will give Him room in the stable of their hearts. The true meaning of His coming is not to make life easier, but to help us to repent and give up worldliness, selfishness, and sin. Are there any who will regret having fallen away, and come back to a life of grace? How the Savior longs to come and live with repentant sinners! His presence and His grace will turn such a soul into a tabernacle. He will clean up the cobwebs, sweep out the dirt, round up the beasts that still dwell there, and charge the atmosphere with His sanctifying grace.
He warns us, however, that we must change: "If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross and follow Me." Times have not changed much. This Christmas there will again be joy, frivolity and parties, but not much of the spiritual. The world has grown cold to religious ideals, and wants an easy religion.
In general, people are not opposed to Christ. They personally like Him, but they will not push their Christian views onto others. They want a religion not too difficult to follow, a smorgasbord religion where they can pick and choose what laws they will and will not obey. Some of them are even clothed in academic degrees, and sit in judgment on the "old" morality. They hold doctrines that contradict Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, under the guise of bringing the Church up to date. They, truly, in a real way, echo the voices on Calvary that taunted Christ, "Come down from the Cross." They argue:
"We love You, Jesus, and we respect Your Church, but You set a goal too high for us. This is the third millennium, and Your doctrines are out of tune with the times. Change Your doctrine so that it is easier to follow. Don't ask us to be perfect. Don't mention sin. Don't mention sanctity and purity. Just let us love You the way we want. Come down from the cross of suffering and sorrow, and be modern."
Christ never did come down from the Cross to please that crowd. Nor did He explain to those who walked away from His doctrine of the Eucharist. Instead, He turned to the apostles and said, "Will you also go away?" And Peter answered for the loyal disciples of all times: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
This Christmas, prepare for Christ's coming. Give Him room in your heart through a sincere confession. Take up your cross, whatever it may be, and follow Him. His yoke is easy and His burden light.
Merry Christmas, and as Tiny Tim observed, "God bless us, every one!"
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