Howard Thurman, a theologian, once said, “God comes to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry . . . to make music in the heart.” This is the story and the joy of Christmas. God became like us, one with us, to find us, to heal us, to feed us with Himself and ... bring joy to our lives.
As the final days of Advent are approaching, the world around us is fast- changing. Everyone is preparing for Christmas. These preparations begin earlier and earlier and the frenzy escalates until tempers are frazzled and the list of to-do’s is endless.
This past week before the Fourth Sunday of Advent, I went to hospitals almost every day. On Sunday, the Sacrament of the Sick was ministered to our long-time Altar Server’s grandfather who suffered a terrible stroke that left him unconscious. On Monday, I was called to pray over a wife of a permanent deacon from Marshall Island who had a turn for the worse. On Tuesday, a sad news of the passing of a faithful parishioner came out of the blue. The shocking list just keeps stretching and adding as days go by. There seems to be no day without wondering about “good news of great joy” as announced by the angels.
If we feel as though this was a particularly harried season, let us take another look at the purpose of Christmas. Instead of allowing the things we need to do, the presents we need to buy, let us re-discover the mystery of how the birth of a tiny baby opens up the path of life forever. Wherever this Christmas may take us, let us be aware, and alert to the presence of Jesus in our hearts.
Maybe it will come in watching our family or friends opening presents. If any of us are in grief at the loss of a beloved friend, animal, or family member, maybe we will remember how Jesus was often present to us in that beloved one's life, in times of both happiness and struggle. All memories are stored in God's heart, where what is bad is sifted away, while the good lives on forever.
We wish this kind of Christmas joy and peace for everyone! Jesus is born - Alleluia!
Mele Kalikimaka e Hauoli Makahikiho
Fr. Khanh