Christmas yesterday and today is about Jesus and us saving the
innocent
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
The shops are stocking up with tinsel, figures of Santa Clause and the merchandise of materialism. These are all the signs that a commercialized Christmas has all but emptied many churches and filled the malls and department stores everywhere. The spiritual meaning of the birth of Christ the Savior is all but lost in the pursuit of pleasure. The word Christmas has been replaced by ‘Seasons of Greetings’, ‘Happy Yuletide’ and anything else to distance the celebration from its true meaning and purpose to focus on Jesus Christ and his message of justice, compassion, sharing, and freedom from evil. Never before has the world needed it so much. So before we become engrossed in partying, breaking out the booze and splurging on luxuries, let's examine the Christmas story itself.
The Gospel story is one hardship after another for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. His childhood began with the shame of Mary, his mother being with a child and unmarried. Although sinless it was still a big problem for Joseph and the family. For a young woman in that situation in those days could have been brought to death by stoning like the Muslim woman a year ago in Nigeria or the woman condemned by the elders but saved by Jesus.
Then the Holy Family joined the homeless. Jesus was born practically a street child in a cave with the animals, creatures that we ruthlessly exterminate by the hour. Apparently they were the only creatures worthy to be present until the shepherds, the poorest of all, outcasts themselves, showed up to help out. Then his parents were warned of assassins and hit squads out looking for them, and in fear of imminent death they fled. Herod, the corrupt politician, so common today, sought his life and slaughtered countless children. The Holy Family has became a refugee family on the run, fleeing the sword and the torch.
Their lives were not unlike those of thousands suffering in Darfur, Chad, Iraq and other places of war and oppression. There, militant maunders burn, shoot, rape and slaughter the innocents as happened in the time of Jesus. Today the powerful nations of the world do nothing but either make war or diplomacy (sometimes both) with the modern day Herods so as to get at their oil deposits. The Holy Family fled as refugees seeking safety in a foreign land as asylum seekers. They were hungry, alone and frightened, trusting the goodness of others. Joseph only asked to work as a carpenter, to feed a mother and child, to live in peace safe from the mayhem and murder that is all to prevalent in today's world of war, violence and nuclear threats.
Were they to land in Europe, the United States or Australia today they would be profiled as of Middle Eastern origin, finger printed, photographed, likely judged unworthy and turned away? Considering the blind eye of political expediency and the accommodation the Western authorities have with the Saudi, Egyptian and other cruel dictators and their secret police in the Middle East and else where. The Holy Family, if subject to immigration laws today would likely be put in a desert concentration camp for migrants surrounded by razor wire or deported back to certain death, or a life of poverty judged unworthy to enter the nations of the rich, flowing with milk and honey, beer and brandy.
Christmas was just the start of that revolutionary life of Christ. He set out to restore the dignity of every human being and the integrity of creation. The power of his life of simplicity and self sacrifice, his words, wisdom, compassion and love of the truth was his power to attract. His opposition to evil and abuse of power led to his frame up and execution. Like Jesus, we all need to live for others, to serve the poor and the exploited and work for a just and caring world.
We are all called to help each other, and those in greatest need, not
just ourselves. This is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to save
the world from the madness of war, greed and violence and to inspire us
to imitate his life and service to the hungry, the outcasts and victims
of injustice, torture and abuse. He left a clear message, that love is
what we do to help those who suffer as he did.
