A Holy Day Has Dawned That Knows No Sunset

To the thirst for meaning and value so characteristic of today's world, to the search for prosperity and peace that marks the lives of all mankind, to the hopes of the poor: Christ — true God and true Man — responds with his Nativity. Neither individuals nor nations should be afraid to recognize and welcome him: with him "a shining light" brightens the horizon of humanity; in him "a holy day" dawns that knows no sunset.( Pope Benedict XVI, Urbi et Orbi Message, Christmas 2007)

Christ is born again bringing hope for all, and we rejoice. At the time of year that is naturally darkest, he brings inextinguishable light. At a time when many are tempted to believe in the absence of God, he becomes present once again and always. In spite of all the noise and distractions of our commercialized Christmas, he appears again -- quietly, unobtrusively, and with all the remoteness and simplicity of the first Nativity. Angels sing again. (Are we listening?) Shepherds pay him homage, and the wise men and women of our day seek him still. (Are we among them?)

Christ is born again, and the weary world is renewed. He brings hope for the poor. He brings peace for warring peoples. He brings prosperity to economies ruined by greed and irresponsibility. He brings "a shining light" into all the dark corners of our world.

Christ is born again, and our heavy hearts are lightened. The burdens we carry — fear and anxiety, guilt and sin — are lifted by his coming again. "Be not afraid," he tells us, and we are reassured. "Trust in me," he says, "your sins are forgiven," and we are consoled.

The truth which makes us free has enlightened our minds and hearts once again this Christmas. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands" (1 Jn 1-3) is Christ born again this Christmas. Come, let us adore him.

All year long, we worry and we struggle and we argue. At Christmas time, we are invited to give it up, to "let go and let God," to trust that all our troubles are truly in God's hands. God-is-with-us, Emmanuel, has come into our lives (as he does every day through the mystery of the Eucharist) to bring us peace. Why don't we let him?

Christmas is the time of year when we remember God's goodness to us. The gifts we receive are the faintest reminders of the Gift that Christ is to each of us. The Christmas carols we sing are merely echoes of the angels' song, "Peace on earth. Good will toward all." The bright colors and the Christmas lights pale in comparison to the shining star that has brightened the horizon of humanity for all time.

If we couldn't celebrate Christmas, we might well go mad. Our world would certainly be darker and more depressing. Where would we place our hope? In government? In Wall Street or Hollywood? Our prospects would be dim indeed.

No, we find our hope in a little child placed in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. His blessed mother, Mary, and his faithful guardian, the good steward Joseph, attend to him lovingly. Poor shepherds, dumb animals and mysterious strangers are his companions. The heavens rejoice and the earth resounds with hope.

What a wonderful day this is. How unlike most days! Today, a holy day has dawned that knows no sunset. Let us rejoice and be glad. Let us welcome the child Jesus into our hearts and our homes -- today and every day.

May the joys of the Christmas season fill your hearts with gladness. May you find holiness and hope this Christmas. And may the shining light of Christ bring prosperity and peace to you, and to our troubled world, this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 2009, Daniel Conway

Resources for Parish Bulletins - December 2009

A STEWARDSHIP MOMENT
From Dan Potvin, Archdiocese of Winnipeg

English version:

December 6th – 2nd Sunday of Advent
Generosity… authentic generosity is born
out of an attitude of gratitude. How generous are
you with your time? Advent is a time of
preparation. A generous portion of our time
given to prayer and to the service of others is a
good way to make Christ’s presence among us
known. Stewardship is living generously. Thank
you for your generosity this past year.

December 13th – 3rd Sunday of Advent
Trust… in our increasingly secular society
it is not fashionable to trust God. Stewardship
means that we are grateful for our many
blessings, and we are generous with our lives
and our possessions. In living this way we learn
to trust more in God and less in ourselves.
Trust is the cornerstone of any relationship, and
our relationship with God is no different. God
trusts us to do our part and we must trust
explicitly in God.

December 20th – 4th Sunday of Advent
Gratitude, Generosity & Trust… these
have been the focus of our stewardship
reflections the first three Sundays of Advent.
Having these in our hearts we are more ready as
we await Christ’s coming. This coming week
will be a week filled with joyful anticipation.
Good stewards live in anticipation of fulfilling,
doing, and sharing in the Master’s work.

December 27th – Holy Family
Mary and Joseph went searching for their son
“in great anxiety.” They were understandably
worried. There are times when we worry about
the young people in our lives. There are also
times when they amaze us! Let us pray that in
the coming year our faith community will
continue to respond to the needs of families, and
encourage and enable our young people to share
their unique gifts. Amen.

Spanish version:

Notas del Boletín de Corresponsabilidad
Por: Dan Potvin, Arquidiócesis de Winnipeg

Diciembre 6 – Segundo Domingo de Adviento
Generosidad…la auténtica generosidad nace
de una actitud de gratitud. ¿Qué tan generoso es
con su tiempo? El Adviento es un tiempo de
preparación. Una buena manera de dar a conocer
la presencia de Cristo entre nosotros es dedicar
una generosa porción de nuestro tiempo a la
oración y al servicio de nuestro prójimo. La
corresponsabilidad es vivir generosamente.
Gracias por su generosidad durante este año que
está por llegar a su fin.

Diciembre 13 – Tercer Domingo de Adviento
Confianza… en nuestra creciente sociedad
secular, confiar en Dios no está de moda. La
corresponsabilidad significa que nosotros
estamos agradecidos por las numerosas
bendiciones y que somos generosos con nuestras
vidas y nuestras posesiones. Al vivir de esta
manera, nosotros aprendemos a confiar más en
Dios y menos en nosotros mismos. La
confianza es la piedra angular de cualquier
relación, y nuestra relación con Dios no es
diferente. Dios confía en que nosotros hagamos
nuestra parte y nosotros debemos confiar
explícitamente en Dios.

Diciembre 20 – Cuarto Domingo de Adviento
Gratitud, Generosidad y Confianza…
estos temas deben ser el centro de nuestras
reflexiones de corresponsabilidad los primeros
tres domingos de Adviento. Teniéndolos en
nuestros corazones, nosotros estaremos más
preparados mientras esperamos la llegada de
Cristo. Esta semana entrante será una semana
llena con un gozo anticipado. Los buenos
corresponsables viven en expectativa de cumplir,
hacer y compartir el trabajo del Maestro.

Diciembre 27 – La Sagrada Familia
María y José buscaron a su hijo ‘con gran
ansiedad’. Ellos estaban, comprensiblemente,
muy preocupados. Hay momentos en los que nos
preocupamos por los niños y jóvenes en nuestras
vidas. Hay también momentos en los que ellos
nos sorprenden. Oremos para que en el año por
venir nuestra comunidad de fe continúe
respondiendo a las necesidades de las familias,
para que aliente y permita a nuestros jóvenes
compartir sus dones únicos. Amén.