The Word Became Flesh
Dear Parishioners,
At last, God’s promise comes to fulfillment. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Our deep gratitude goes to Mary and Joseph, a young couple from Nazareth who remained faithful to God’s promise and made themselves available to God so that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the desire of all nations, could be born. All the tales and prophesies take us right to the heart of the mystery of the Incarnation—something once thought to be impossible. These past weeks, we have been preparing for his coming, and today, he is here. We know who he is. He is Jesus Christ, God made man.
His birth begins a new era in our world as we contemplate the mystery surrounding this newborn babe in the stable. This child will lead us down into the very core of our being. Christmas marks the birth of Christ the Lord who now invites all of us to be born too. “For we have seen his glory- the glory of an only Son coming from the Father, filled with enduring love.” The airwaves are filled with Christmas songs and carols which help to heighten our feelings of deep joy.
The drought is over, and God has rained down his blessings on us. No one can say again that God is absent in the world. Through all the difficulties, frustrations, and dangers of life, we must learn to depend on God. The birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary stands as a perpetual sign to us of God’s continued presence and protection. We should praise and thank him for all these favors, especially at this time of the year as we reflect on the meaning of Christmas. God himself comes to us in the person of his Son, made flesh in the womb of Mary. To feel the joy of Christmas, we must have faith in this great mystery of incarnation. Every Christmas indeed is a testimony from God that he has not given up on the world.
The prophet Zephaniah proclaimed, “joy to the faithful of Judah,” even during a time of religious degradation, when in the city of Jerusalem, “the Lord, your God is in your midst, mighty Savior.” We too live in an era of idolatry when some worship materialism and pleasure. God proclaims joy to us in our celebration of Christmas as we look to the past to see the coming of the Lord, a mighty Savior, into our world. Our Christmas joy, however, is not derived only from the past. It is also a present reality and a future hope. The birth of Jesus is more than history. His coming is as fresh and new for us as it was for Mary, his mother.
Repeatedly during the Christmas liturgies, the Church repeats with wonder; we, who dwelt in the darkness of sin and death, have seen a great light. Darkness is forever changed because of the birth of the Light: Jesus Christ. We should pray that this year we may see the birth of Jesus Christ in such a light that our love for God may become more like his love for us. Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Fr. Vitalis Anyanike
Pastor
