Sunday in the Octave of Christmas

Thoughts for the Week - Fr. R. Taouk 
29th December 2013

Dear Friends,

It was on that first Christmas that the shepherds would hear the divine voice of the angels and be led by means of it to find the source of Truth and Joy.

Like those shepherds, it often happens that our lives are often transformed in the midst of night of our life when we least expect it. It seems as though, it is only when things are darkest that God can finally speak to us. It is not that He is incapable of communicating beforehand, it is simply that, surrounded by the concerns and preoccupations of our lives, we do not listen. Hence, the "night" and darkness of difficulties and doubts is often the only time during which we are prepared to hear.

God alone is capable of making us transcend the turmoil of this world. The man born to the Blessed Virgin, historically, on this night over two thousand years ago, is personally God, the Divine Word. This God-Man, born to us, is source of both our hope and the realization of our potential.

Christ is a man among men, but also God among men. He shares with us our human nature, and our sufferings, but more importantly, He sets before us the possibility for us to find union with God. A Man among men, we can find our similarity to Him; as the Word Incarnate He seeks to raise us above our limitedness.  Divine Love revealed itself to the world in order to bring all men into perfect union with God. This goodness is to be admired and this love to be imitated.

To complain about evil and the injustices done to us does not require strength, indeed it is often the result of our self-love. However, it does require strength and even greatness of soul to overcome evil by good. When we are more impressed by evil, we ultimately imitate it. When we are more impressed by goodness and love, we imitate them. This is the Mystery of Christmas.

The individual Christian life is meant to be transformed by such love. This all begins with Baptism. The Holy Trinity produces supernatural effects within the soul. Its presence produces not only a likeness within the consecrated man, but it also elevates his capacities and makes him capable of godlike actions: to know as God knows and to love as God loves. If we would only allow Divine Love to take its proper place in our lives we could begin to live anew. This is the glory of the children of God, strengthened to overcome evil by good.