Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
“O Christ, what shall we offer You for Your coming on earth as a Man for our sake?
Every creature that has its being from You gives thanks to You:
the angels offer hymns of praise,
the heavens give a star,
wise men present gifts, and the shepherds, their wonder,
the earth provides a cave and the desert a manger.
As for us, we offer you a Virgin Mother.
O God who are from all eternity, have mercy on us!”
(Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ)
God is from all eternity, and yet He chose to be born in time at a specific time. I’ve been pondering the theme of time lately, especially in relation to this beautiful celebration of Christmas. The other night, I went Christmas caroling with a small group of families and consecrated women (about 25 of us). After about seven houses, we’d found only two with people at home—or at least with anyone who would come to the door and hear us sing a carol and wish them a Merry Christmas. After a time though, we encountered a “winning streak”—or perhaps a good “singing streak”—and were happy to be greeted by many smiling faces, including cute little children, emerging from front doors to hear us sing about the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had the idea that people used to offer carolers hot chocolate or hot apple cider. We’re living in a different time now, I thought to myself. Too bad people don’t do that anymore! Or so I thought. It was getting late and we decided to sing for one more house and call it a night. Imagine my surprise when, at the end of the carol, the delighted older couple invited us all into the house for hot chocolate! We were hesitant to inundate their house with our numbers, but we all ended up in the family room of our very hospitable hosts, who offered not only hot chocolate, but water, gloves, and a bathroom! I was surprised and touched—I mean, who does that? Who, these days, invites 25 random strangers into their home for hot chocolate at 9:15 at night? (They were very moved too. We were the first carolers they’d had in 38 years of living in their home.)
But what I found most interesting is the timing of it all. We could not have planned it better—in fact, we didn’t plan it at all. Our caroling pattern was quite random, and we had just decided to sing for “one last house.” I thought about how it took perseverance on our part, on the one hand, and on the other, God’s perfect timing and arrangement. (I also made a mental note to have hot chocolate and disposable cups on hand for any carolers who may one day grace my front step.)
Time is mentioned a lot in Scripture. Galatians 4 tells us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son...so that we might receive adoption as children.” The Gospel of Luke, before it speaks of Mary giving birth to Jesus “when the time came,” recounts the story of the angel announcing to Zechariah that his barren wife Elizabeth would bear a son. Because Zechariah didn’t believe the angel’s words, which would “be fulfilled at their proper time,” he was mute until his son John was born. (Tangent: Number 9 of the Top 10 Things Not to Say to a Single Woman is: “Don’t worry! You still have time! Remember Elizabeth had a baby when she was ‘advanced in years.’” Please note that Abraham’s wife Sarah conceiving at age 90 is not any more comforting...)
But seriously, the instances of God’s perfect timing in my own life are too many to count. I often have to remind myself that His timing is also perfect in terms of my vocation. What His timing is—I don’t know. But I do know that whatever it is, it is good, and that brings me peace. God’s infinite goodness and His unfathomable love for us, visibly made manifest now at Christmas, is a reason for us all to rejoice!
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher for the papal household, said this in a recent homily, “I would like to bring to light what I believe is the most effective way for all to keep peace of heart, namely, the certainty of being loved by God.” This Christmas, may we all be able to comprehend more deeply the incredible love God has shown each of us through His Incarnation!
Jesus came at the perfect time, after the Jews had waited quite a long while, and we are very blessed to live now and be able to rejoice in God’s gift of Himself to us—which, when it comes down to it, is really all that matters. So let's celebrate with joy throughout this Christmas season (all the way through to the Feasts of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord), heeding this exhortation:
“Rejoice, rejoice Jerusalem, make merry all you who love Sion.
Today Adam’s bonds are loosed, and paradise is opened to us...
Oh, the depth, the richness, the wisdom and the knowledge of God!...
The all-perfect God has become a Babe being born of a virgin.
By means of his swaddling clothes, He has loosed the chains of our sins;
by his birth as a child, He has healed the pain and sorrow of Eve.
Wherefore let the whole creation exchange glad tidings and rejoice
for Christ has come to renew it and to save our souls.”
(Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ)
