The Meaning of Christmas?

Christmas – Family life in the Spirit of Christ – December 2011

Beloved Catholics and people of good will

Christmas is about the beginning, the beginning of the life of the Child Jesus embraced by his loving parents, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph. The actual moment of Jesus becoming flesh, the actual beginning of the human life of Christ, took place under the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in her womb, when she accepted in faith the message of the archangel Gabriel and responded saying:

"Let it be done to me according to your word. And the Eternal Word became flesh.

Natural life became sacred life. The Divine united with the human. This is the moment when we can celebrate the beginning of the life of the Christmas Child and we can sing with the Blessed Virgin Mary her song of praise and joy to God, just like the glorious song of the angels singing before the shepherds after the Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus at Bethlehem.

Christmas is not just about one Child. It is about all people with whom that Child is identified. We come from God. Our beginning is sacred. From the moment of conception we are children of God with a sacred dignity and a life which is destined for eternal life. Every faithful catholic parent and family understands this and ensures that their unborn are protected and that their children are given the grace for their eternal destiny to become a reality by initiating them into the life of Christ through Baptism and the Eucharist. Christmas is about the most humble and sacred beginning of what will eventually grow and blossom into the most glorious end with the death and resurrection of Jesus. This glorious end reminds us of how sacred the beginning of life really is, even though it is also so humble and vulnerable. This is what Christmas is all about  - about recognising the sacred dignity of the most humble and the most vulnerable in our world and there is no doubt that the unborn babies are at the top of this list in today’s ruthless world.

Christmas is about those who are at the beginning of their life's journey, who need to be protected and nourished, who depend on loving adults for their survival and development in a spirit of truth. Christmas is about parental responsibility and the irreplaceable importance of parental love and care for their children to grow more and more in the Image of God who becomes flesh in them.

We are in great need for this mystery of Christmas in our family life. I implore you dear Catholic parents to celebrate Christmas with your children, sing with them and pray with them and tell them how wonderful and sacred their lives are because of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a season for reminding your family about the sacred dignity of the unborn and about the sacred dignity of sexual love in your married life. Christ  restores our marriage and family to the way it was always meant to be in the beginning. Yes Christmas is about the beginning, the beginning of sacred life, humble and vulnerable and destined for Glory in Christ. May the Holy Spirit help us all this Christmas to embrace this sacred gift of Christ personally and lovingly in our lives.

Holy Mary,pray for us. St Joseph,pray for us. Lord Jesus,have mercy on us.

May God bless you all with the peace of the Divine Child Jesus.

+Joao Rodrigues

Bishop of Tzaneen Diocese