Contrary to the way modern Christmas cards portray the first Christmas: snow, Santa Clause, or scenic winter pictures, the first Christmas was neither with snow, silent, beautiful nor perfect. The story of the Christmas we celebrate today was filled with mess and confusion: Mary was expecting and Joseph didn’t understand this at all, and had his doubts about what was going on; Joseph, with Mary in labor had to travelled to Bethlehem; there was no room at the inn; stuck in the middle of nowhere Mary had the baby in a stable; the shepherds got scared when they saw the angel; the three kings got lost; etc. Even if we buy a card with the picture of the Holy Family it looks far away from reality. Mary does not look like she just had a baby; Joseph looks like one of the Beatles and not like the typical father worrying for not been able to find a place for his family to stay. Even the baby Jesus does not look like he just came out of the womb. Christmas cards do not portray the reality of Christmas because what would be realistic could not be beautiful.
Our world like the first Christmas is not a perfect picture either. We live everyday in a messy world. There are wars; there are conflicts; people get sick; we suffer from natural disasters; there are car accidents; our loved one die, parents without a job struggled to put presents under the Christmas tree; families and neighbors forced to close their business because of the economic crisis, etc. We live in a world in which people wonder what the New Year will bring.
But even in these tough times, there is still so much to celebrate this Christmas. A message of peace and brotherhood that continues to inspire more than 2,000 after Jesus’ birth. The bonds of love of our community, our family and friends. For many people it is hard to believe that it is rational to be optimistic. However, no matter how bad the situation is we should not give in to pessimism. Across two thousand years, the words of the angels reach out to us in joy and hope and consolation, “do not be afraidâ€. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what your circumstances are, this is what matters: “Do not be afraidâ€.
While so many people are powerless by fear of what is coming on the world, you and I can share the conviction, which comes from beyond ourselves, from beyond our powers. God did not come as a dictator demanding submission but as a vulnerable child. God did not come as legislator with an ideology but in the life of a child to melt our divisions and with the promise of peace and goodwill for all the world. Jesus is the hope for peace on earth, for peace of heart. “Do not be afraidâ€.
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget. With this thought, I personally and on behalf of the community of Saint Dominic’s Priory, wish you a very Merry Christmas. May the wonder of that first Christmas, the joy of God’s abundant blessings, and the peace of Jesus’ presence be with you always.
Fr. A. Salcedo
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