Christmas: Not History, but a current Way of Life.

Greetings,

      If you have not yet done so this season, I commend to your reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  While there are several good movies of it (I especially like the Reginald Owens [1938], the Alastair Sims [1951], the George C. Scott [1984], and the Patrick Stewart [1999]), it is far better to read the book (which does not take long even for us slow readers).  I even am fond of the musical version Scrooge with Albert Finney [1970], but that may be because Roberta and I saw it that December at Radio City Music Hall, when Roberta was pregnant with Brenda.  That was one of the last times Radio City showed a movie in between their stage show, in that case the annual Christmas Show.  I may have more to say about it in a few days, but for now I would suggest focusing on the reality of the Christmas Event not so much as an historical event, but as a current Way of Life.

      We are almost there, but the church ancient and the church present still calls us to focus on the living reality of the Coming Event rather than an historical celebration.

      O come, O come, Emmanuel,

      And ransom captive Israel,

      That mourns in lonely exile here

      Until the Son of God appear.

      The church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again.  When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.

      It is both terrible and comforting to dwell in the inconceivable nearness of God, and so to be loved by God that the first and last gift if infinity and inconceivability itself.  But we have no choice.  God is with us.

                                                                                                                                 Karl Rahner

      No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor.  The self-sufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even of God—for them there will be no Christmas.  Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone.  That someone is God, Emmanuel, God-with-us.  Without poverty of spirit there can be no abundance of God.

                                                                                                                               Oscar Romero

      We need to make ourselves poor if we are not, even as we are called to be “poor in spirit.”  We need to be the Body of Christ who comes to the poor - we need to be the God-with-us for them.  This Christmas, instead of asking what you are going to get, ask what you are going to give to those who have little or nothing. 

Yours & His,

DED