Welcome Christmas!
Sister Elise Saggau, OSF
Christmas is upon us once again. These Advent weeks have symbolized for us the ages that preceded Christ’s coming into our world—the years of waiting, wondering, expecting, hoping. The day of joy has arrived. God is with us in a whole new way—a way none of us could ever have imagined. Christmas!—God taking on our flesh, becoming one with us! The waiting has been worthwhile.
But can we ever get to the bottom of what this really means? The truth that God wants to be among us as one of us will always be too much for us. Nevertheless, contemplating it, we are filled with wonder and a compelling acceptance. We receive this mystery in active faith. We try to live out its implications in the best way we can. We know, deep down, that it is true. Christmas places God within our reach. God, in Jesus Christ, has flesh and blood like ours; feels what we feel. God has come among us, a true human who accompanies us in the amazing adventure of being alive on this earth, of being on our way to perfect life with and in God. Of this truth, the theologian Karl Rahner once said: “It is both terrible and comforting to dwell in the inconceivable nearness of God, and to be so loved by God that the first and last gift is infinity itself. God is with us.”
God has come among us as a human being. This seemingly incredible event is part of our history. Yet, God is always still on the way. We must keep our ears alert to hear and our eyes to see. We will be able to recognize God-with-us at any moment of our lives, but not primarily in loud and impressive events. Rather, we look for small signs of God’s presence—the cry of a baby, children’s laughter, the taste of sweet wine shared among friends, the fragrance of warm bread fresh out of the oven, a magnificent sunrise or sunset, a word of comfort in a time of grief or despair. Such experiences outweigh all the meaningless noise and glare that overwhelm our senses daily. Christmas invites to us to see light in darkness and hear God’s voice in the silence that underlies all the racket of life.
Henri Nouwen assures us that “God came to us because God wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving toward the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey.”
This is God’s place and now is God’s time. There can be no better place and time for being made ready to welcome the coming of the Lord. God is the One who takes a mysterious initiative. “See, I am coming; I am on the way.” The divine initiative, however, is not yet entirely clear. Something is about to happen; God has set in train a new series of events and is moving to meet us. “Prepare the way of the Lord!” More than in any other season of the year, God calls on us in Advent and Christmastime to be open and to abandon ourselves to the mystery unfolding before our eyes (Gerald O’Collins).
And so we welcome Christmas. We pay attention. We look and we listen. And deep within us we receive the incomparable Good News—a Child is born! A Savior is given. Come, let us adore!
