2019-12-22 Fourth Advent | Fr. Edson Way

The Christ Mass (Christmas) is only days away. Many scholars say that the gospels were  written from back to front. This means that the first accounts of the gospel of Jesus were of his resurrection from the dead. That may be a good sober reminder to us. The child’s birth we celebrate was born to give his life as a sacrifice for our sin. In today’s gospel account we are told that the child’s name would be Emmanuel, which means “God is with us”.

 As we celebrate Christmas we may feel the pressure of expectations that are put upon us from family members, friends or even ourselves. I pray that we are not made weary by these  sensational expectations of Christmas. Find that quiet place where the longings of your heart may be found in the ordinary sacred places where there are joys and sorrows, struggles, beauty, love, dreams and hopes found in every hour. Be reminded that we do live in the presence of Jesus, under the eye of God. In our worship of Jesus may we have the courage to take off the masks that hide away the beauty of his life that is in us. As we celebrate the child, may we experience the salvation of many deaths: of apathy, mediocrity, of carelessness, selfishness, etc. When we have the courage let go and fall into this tender mercy of God, there is nothing so healing as finding the ache in our heart of the inexhaustible joy that God is with us!