A christmas thought

Looking back on yesterday's celebration and looking forward to the upcoming Christmas season I was pondering a thought posed by Pope Benedict some years back.

First, notice that I mentioned the Christmas season.  Christmas is not just a day celebration, it continues until the Epiphany which is january 6th.

We must keep the Christmas spirit's integrity by prolonging not cutting short the festivities of the season.


Pope Benedict's thought that has been coming to mind for some time, but most especially in the Christmas season is as follows, "Imagine a world without the beauty awaken by faith."


Imagine a world without the beauty awaken by faith.

Think about how our world would look.  Not it isn't hard to imagine, since our current society seems to be bending in that direction.  But think of the darkness that would ensue.  Think of behavior no longer checked by a conscience informed by belief and faith in a higher power.

Think about a world that knows no constraint, no discipline, no mercy, no love, no generosity.

Imagine a world without the beauty awaken by faith.

But we have faith and thus beauty as become visible in our world and in our cities and in our homes.
Just look around your own place, see how alive it has become due to the decorations, the lights, the trees, the poinsettias, the wreaths and the bows.

All of this is making visible the beauty that belongs to faith.

Christmas exposes the beauty awaken by faith in a new dimension.  It is not so difficult to see the beauty that comes from our faith in the living God.

But what of the beauty that comes from God's faith in us.

Christmas is really about the beauty awaken because of God's faith in humanity for he has chosen to become one with us.  God has paid us the highest compliment.  In the child, in the manger, we recognize our true dignity.  Unashamedly God has humbled himself.

In this gesture, true beauty rises forth; true beauty is awaken in time as eternity fills us with this newborn face.

Every year Christmas is the same.  In the midst of the constant changing reality of our lives it is good to note that our life of faith is built upon that foundation that never changes: God's unchanging devotion and dedication to humanity.  God comes to us in this vulnerable and helpless form and offers us defenseless love.  

Though we are often surrounded by "bad" news.  Though our lives seems to be enshrouded in darkness.  We remember the light of this day we call Christmas and we once again hear the news of great joy and glad tidings as the angels approach the shepherds and angelic Choir burst in to song, "glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will."

The "bad" news has not triumphant over this good news.  We hear it again as if for the first time.
Echoing forth through the centuries once again it resonates deep with in our souls and we rejoice.

And for a brief moment as we look into the manger we rediscover the wonder and awe of it all.
Let it saturate our being so that as we enter the new year we will bring that joy with us and let it radiate outward each day anew.

We don't have to imagine a world without the beauty awaken by faith.  But we do need to appreciate and bring forth that beauty in our lives.

As God comes at Christmas so he comes each day of our lives.  As God comes in this vulnerable and defenseless way so he desires us to imitate his manner.

The beauty of Christmas is wrapped in that fact that it is common and a normal part of everyday life.  God enters the routine of living and growing and thus he fills our ordinary unfolding reality of life with a new kind of love.

He comes to in each moment in this vulnerable, defenseless way.

Think about the Eucharist.  In this piece of bread and this simple drink God unashamedly humbles himself again: vulnerable, helpless, defenseless and yet so transformative.

Imagine a world where we translate this gift of God and become what we celebrate. What would the world look like if we  became vulnerable.  What would the world look like if we no longer put up walls but simple offered love with out defense.

Truly then beauty would fill our lives.