Fr Augustine Vallooran, VC
(1 Jn 4:10)
Christmas is the season of joy and hope, for this sacred feast is entirely about salvation and evangelization. God the Father looks upon the fallen state of the humankind, and in His infinite love and mercy takes the initiative to intervene. This decision involves the supreme sacrifice of His own Son to ensure that not one of us would be lost. This was the first moment of salvation, and of evangelization.
Evangelization involves a sending and a going – a sending out in love and a going forth in obedience. We see in this first mission the Son of God setting himself to pursue the Father’s loving mission for Him. The Son partakes of the supreme sacrifice of the Father, abandoning His divine glory by the heavenly shores. He is born in our midst as a helpless little child in the humble manger of Bethlehem. All this was for that one purpose of saving us. This summarizes the sacred feast and glorious celebration of Christmas.
“How lovely are the feet of the one bringing good news” (Is 52:7)
God the Father continues the mission of sending out.
The angel Gabriel is sent to the Virgin Mary to get her consent to become the mother of the Son of God. Surrendering her life to God’s plan she declares, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
John the Baptist is sent to prepare the people to accept Jesus as Saviour. He would cry out, “I baptize you with water for repentance… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mat 3:11). This anointing in the Holy Spirit is the ultimate experience of salvation in the world.
Angels are sent from heaven to proclaim salvation, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will” (Lk 2:14). The glory of God is the salvation of humankind. The angels proclaimed to the shepherds the fulfilment of the prophecy, “Today… a Saviour has been born to you” (Lk 2:11).
God the Father sends the star in the horizon to gather in all of humankind, beyond the boundaries of the Davidic peoples – the Jewish nation – to celebrate the salvation of the entire wounded humanity.
This is how God the Father initiated the mission of salvation. Jesus, the Son of God, took this forward by seeking out the suffering humanity, proclaiming the good news that God is waiting to save, healing the sick, forgiving the sinner, comforting the grief-stricken, and bringing salvation to families. This mission was accomplished on the cross. Jesus through this sacrifice paid the price of salvation for very man and woman, to the ends of the earth, and to the end of times.
Jesus after the Resurrection gathers His disciples, sending them to continue the mission He received. “As the Father has sent to me, I send you” (Jn 20:21). The apostles must do the works of mission until every single person is saved.
The message of salvation must reach the ends of the earth until every human person touched by the saving love of God, believes in Jesus and accepts salvation.
The content of evangelization is the great experience of the supreme love of God the Father, and His Son Jesus. This love experience is awakened in us by the Holy Spirit.
Speaking of His mission to Nicodemus, Jesus points out to the Father’s love at the centre of it all. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
When Jesus spoke of this mission, there was a tone of urgency to convey this love. This tone is felt even in the Christmas narrative. The shepherds hurry out to Bethlehem, to proclaim what they hear. On seeing the Christ, they would go out and spread the good news right away. It is this urgency one sees in the Magi of the east as they come seeking the Messiah.
It is with this urgency of love that each of us must set out on mission to spread the good news of salvation. We cannot sit back in laziness. When we know of this love, we must be ready to abandon everything to go forth to everyone in distress, offering them the hope of the good news. All that is required of us is to proclaim that Jesus is waiting to save them.
Speaking of the eternal God as nothing less than a tangible reality, St John writes “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life” (1 Jn 1:1). Only when we have that experience of Jesus, and we share this with our children, our friends, those in distress and sin, will we experience that joy of Christmas.
The little Babe in the manger of Bethlehem is the great symbol of God’s great love, supreme love. When I look at that Babe and open my heart for that love to enter into me, salvation happens.
This Christmas should not end with carol singing, or even putting a statue of the baby Jesus in the manger, with cakes and wine, and banquets. This Christmas we must kneel down before that baby Jesus, kiss that feet and submit ourselves to the Lord, praying, “Lord, I love you more than everything else. You are my supreme. Your love is enough for me. One thing I want and that is to be found one with you.” Then shall the joy of the angels and the peace of God fill my heart, and Christmas will be a celebration.
This Christmas shall be a time, when we shall wait upon God to reveal Himself to us. The Lord instructs us, “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops” (Mat 10:27). This Christmas, the Lord is going to whisper to us what all the lies of the world will not. God will reveal His tremendous love that will free from every overwhelming burden of sin and sickness.
This Christmas we shall contemplate the Child Jesus, and allow the faith to take root in us. When we are so deep rooted in His love, we will never be shaken, no matter what temptations come our way. Whatever the world offers, we will not betray or deny the Lord, rather we will proclaim him from the housetop. When we cast our lot with him, we will be ready to die for him, seeking all the while to love Him as He loves us.
Prayer
Holy Spirit reveal to us the great love of Christmas. Fill my heart with the warmth of this supreme love that I may be able to share it with everyone. May I be on fire with that zeal that no one shall be lost.
Jesus you came to this world, you have given your life on the cross, all for love of everyone distressed by pain and disturbed by sin. May my heart be open to your compassion, that I may tirelessly reach out to them and proclaim to everyone that for us a Saviour is born, and this Saviour is Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Previous Post