And the angel said unto them,
"Fear not!
For, behold, I bring you
tidings of great joy,
Which shall be to all people.
"For unto you is born
this day in the city of David
A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you:
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Lying in a manger.
~ St. Luke 2:10-12
Pope St. Leo the Great called Christmas the “birthday of life.” This is what we celebrate every Christmas. The wonder of Christmas is the humility God chose for himself, purely out of love—love for us.
God loved us enough to send us his only Son. He loved us enough to take on our poverty, our indignities and fears, our hopes, joys, sufferings and failures—and our flesh—in order to speak to us as one of us. He became man to show men and women how much God loves them. He was born for that purpose. He lived for that purpose. He died and rose again for that purpose.
May God grant you and all those you love
a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Fr. Dan