Christmas [B]

Readings
Midnight: Isaiah 9:1-6: Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14
Dawn: Isaiah 62:11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20
During the Day: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

Calendar
December 26: First Day of Hanukkah
December 26: Kwanzaa begins í¢â‚¬" US celebration of African traditions
December 28: Feast of the Holy Innocents

Quotes
Our hearts this Christmas are anxious and distressed because of the continuation in various parts of the world of war, social tensions, and the painful hardships in which so many people find themselves. We are all seeking an answer that will reassure us.
--John Paul II, homily, December 24, 2001

Before the crib where you lie helpless,
let there be an end to the spread of violence in its many forms,
the source of untold suffering;
let there be an end to the numerous situations of unrest
which risk degenerating into open conflict;
let there arise a firm will to seek peaceful solutions,
respectful of the legitimate aspirations of individuals and peoples.
--John Paul II, Urbi et Orbi Message, Christmas 2004

In the crib we contemplate the One who stripped himself of divine glory in order to become poor, driven by love for mankind.
--John Paul II, Christmas 2003

O Child, who willed to have for your crib a manger; O Creator of the universe, who stripped yourself of divine glory; O Redeemer, who offered your vulnerable body in sacrifice for the salvation of humanity! May the radiance of your birth light up the night of the world. May the power of your message of love thwart the proud snares of the evil one. May the gift of your life make us understand ever more clearly the worth of the life of each human being. Too much blood is still being shed on the earth! Too much violence and too many conflicts trouble the peaceful coexistence of nations! You come to bring us peace. You are our peace! You alone can make of us "a people purified" and belonging to you for ever, a people "zealous for good deeds" (Tit 2:14).
--John Paul II, Christmas Homily 2003

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:
    To find the lost,
    To heal the broken,
    To feed the hungry,
    To release the prisoner,
    To rebuild the nations,
    To bring peace among others,
    To make music in the heart.
--Howard Thurman, African-American mystic

Thoughts for Your Consideration:
The Christmas story lends itself to reflections on issues of social justice.

The infancy stories of Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus are analogous to the experience of many people who are poor and powerless today. (1) Mary and Joseph are subject to the whims of the powerful as they have to travel to Bethlehem for the census. (2) "The Holy Family" becomes another family that is homeless. (3) They become refugees in Egypt to escape the danger of death in Israel. (4) As the child is born, most people are going on with their daily lives and do not recognize the presence of God. (5) Only the shepherds are able to detect the presence of God in the child that is born to a homeless family in a stable. (6) Mary, like so many other women, is called to give birth and raise a child in a very challenging set of circumstances. (7.) Their life unfolds in a world mixed with violence and sin as well as great goodness and love.

At Christmas time we encounter many temptations. There is the temptation to be sentimental. There is the temptation to get too involved in elaborate gift giving. There is the temptation to focus just on our small circle of family and friends. There is the temptation to make Christmas into a celebration of our prosperity. There is the temptation to impose too many expectations on this holiday and forget what we are celebrating. The fact that Jesus was born poor and homeless calls us to be aware of these temptations. More than that, the details of Jesus' birth challenge us to be engaged with those who are poor and powerless today.

We are invited to see how the experience of those in the Christmas story is not unlike the experiences:
-of millions of refugees and displaced people in our world today,
-of children born into poverty,
-of single parents struggling to raise their children in challenging circumstances,
-of agricultural workers who have no land of their own,
-of the poor or unemployed,
-of those who work in sweatshops receiving inadequate pay,
-of the those who are homeless,
-of those who are caught up in the events of war and violence,
-of ordinary people trying to live in the midst of the terror and war in places like Iraq,
-of those who have been affected by recent natural disasters in Pakistan or Central America, or Louisiana & Mississippi,
-of those whose lives are controlled by the power of large corporations and impersonal governments,
-of the rich and powerful who separate themselves from those who are different,
-of those who go on with their busy lives without any significant awareness of the presence and goodness of God in the ordinary things of life.

Questions for your Faith Sharing Community
How are elements of the Christmas story seen in the events of your life?

How are elements of the Christmas story seen in the lives of people you read about in the news or meet in your life?

In the US culture we experience certain temptations to distort the central message of Christmas. Which one do you experience most profoundly?

How does this temptation affect you and your family?

Actions í¢â‚¬" Links
Pax Christi International invites people to send electronic Christmas Peace and Justice Wishes & Prayers to the people of Bethlehem at http://www.paxchristi.net/christmas/. You can read the messages that others have already sent.

Various prayers for Christmas can be found at the site of the CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development: http://www.cafod.org.uk/resources/worship/prayers/church_calendar/prayers_for_christmas

In Mid-December UNICEF published The State of the World's Children 2006: Excluded and Invisible. It is available online at http://www.unicef.org/sowc06/index.php. Below is an excerpt from the site:

"Hundreds of millions of children are suffering from severe exploitation and discrimination and have become virtually invisible to the world . . . millions of children disappear from view when trafficked or forced to work in domestic servitude. Other children, such as street children, live in plain sight but are excluded from fundamental services and protections. Not only do these children endure abuse, most are shut out from school, healthcare and other vital services they need to grow and thrive."

Prayer

Save us from the great evils which rend humanity
in these first years of the third millennium.
Save us from the wars and armed conflicts
which lay waste whole areas of the world,
from the scourge of terrorism
and from the many forms of violence
which assail the weak and the vulnerable.
Save us from discouragement
as we face the paths to peace,
difficult paths indeed, yet possible and therefore necessary;
paths which are always and everywhere urgent,
especially in the Land where You were born,
the Prince of Peace.