Throughout this year we have felt darkness
seemingly advance. We have witnessed acts
of great brutality and barbarity both in our land and abroad. It is with all this in mind, that we
celebrate Christmas. This feast is not
just a local custom or a cultural celebration. We celebrate Christmas invoking
the Prince of Peace, praying for light to shine in our darkness.
May
our act of worship and adoration of the Prince of Peace lead us to action. Wherever we are and whenever we can, let us
be people of peace and reconciliation.
Let us boldly invite others to bow before the Infant Jesus humbly
acknowledging that without him, true peace is not possible.
Happy Christmas to all! ~ Fr. Marc André Campbell
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A CHILD IS BORN ….
In appearance, just another of the world’s
many children. A Child is born in a stable in Bethlehem. He is born in a
condition of extreme deprivation: poor among the poor. But the One who is born is "the
Son" par excellence: Filius datus est nobis. This Child is the
Son of God, of one being with the Father. Foretold by the Prophets, he was made
man by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a Virgin, Mary.
In the austere poverty of the crib we
contemplate "a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger"
(Lk 2:12). In the vulnerable and weak newborn babe who cries in the arms
of Mary, "the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all
men" (Tit 2:11). Let
us pause in silence and worship!
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).
For to us a Child is born, to us a son is given! What an unfathomable
mystery is hidden in the humility of this Child! We would like to touch him; we
would like to embrace him.
You, Mary, who keep watch over your all-powerful
Son, grant us your eyes to contemplate him with faith; grant us your
heart to worship him with love.
In his simplicity, the Child of Bethlehem
teaches us to rediscover the real meaning of our existence; he teaches us "to
live sober, upright and godly lives in this world" (Tit 2:12).
~ from
Homily of JOHN PAUL II, Christmas Eve 2003
