Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament Messianic Prophecies
"The Christmas manger,
the first message of the divine Child,
tells us that God is with us;
He loves us
and He seeks us."
Pope Francis
Pope Francis reminds us that "we need to turn to the “living and true God” (1 Thess 1:9). The God who is beyond all human reckoning and yet allows himself to be numbered by our accounting. The God, who revolutionizes history by becoming a part of history. The God who so respects us as to allow us to reject him; who takes away sin by taking it upon himself; who does not eliminate pain but transforms it; who does not remove problems from our lives but grants us a hope that is greater than all our problems. God so greatly desires to embrace our lives that, infinite though he is, he becomes finite for our sake. In his greatness, he chooses to become small; in his righteousness, he submits to our injustice. Brothers and sisters, this is the wonder of Christmas: not a mixture of sappy emotions and worldly contentment, but the unprecedented tenderness of a God who saves the world by becoming incarnate. Let us contemplate the Child, let us contemplate the manger, his crib, which the angels call “a sign” for us (cf. Lk 2:12). For it truly is the sign that reveals God’s face, a face of compassion and mercy, whose might is shown always and only in love. He makes himself close, tender and compassionate, for this is God’s style: closeness, compassion, tenderness."
Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign:
The virgin is with child and will bear a son and will name him Emmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
What is the significance of Jesus being laid in a manger?
"God's own Son was born, not in luxurious surroundings, but among animals and laid in an animal feeding trough. This lowly monarch would one day die on the cross for sinners, rise from the dead, and then return in glory to His Father's side. What is the significance of the manger? "He comes there because there we see the problem of our humanity: the indifference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume. There, in that manger, Christ is born, and there we discover his closeness to us. He comes there, to a feeding trough, in order to become our food. God is no father who devours his children, but the Father who, in Jesus, makes us his children and feeds us with his tender love. He comes to touch our hearts and to tell us that love alone is the power that changes the course of history. He does not remain distant and mighty, but draws near to us in humility; leaving his throne in heaven, he lets himself be laid in a manger."
Pope Francis
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
so small among the clans of Judah,
from you shall I raise
the one who is to rule over Israel,
He comes forth from of old, from ancient times.
The Shepherds; the first visitors of the Saviour
"There were shepherds camping in the countryside nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, with the glory of the Lord shining around them.
As they were terrified, the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; I am here to give you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today a Saviour has been born to you in David's town; he is Christ the Lord. Let this be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.....
..... the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us.' So they went hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds."
Luke 2: 8-12, 15-18
For, a child is born to us,
a son is given to us,
authority is laid upon his shoulders.
He will be named:
'Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'
Isaiah 9:6
Why were the humble shepherds the first to hear of the birth of Jesus?
"The shepherds personify the poor of Israel, humble people who interiorly live with the awareness of their own want and, precisely for this reason, confide in God more than others. They were the first to see the Son of God made man, and this encounter changed them deeply. The Gospel notes that they returned 'glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen'." (Lk 2:20).
"So why remain caught up in your troubles? Like the shepherds, who left their flocks, leave behind the prison of your sorrows and embrace the tender love of the God who became a child. Put aside your masks and your armour; cast your cares on him and he will care for you (cf. Ps 55:22). He became flesh; he is looking not for your achievements but for your open and trusting heart. In him, you will rediscover who you truly are: a beloved son or daughter of God. Now you can believe it, for tonight the Lord was born to light up your life; his eyes are alight with love for you. We have difficulty believing this, that God’s eyes are alight with love for us."
Pope Francis
In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
you are by no means the least among the leading cities of Judah,
from for you will come a leader,
the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.
Matthew 2: 5-6
Do I bear witness to Christ; the newborn King?
Pope Francis suggests three steps
to bear witness to Christ:
Charity
Welcoming the Word of God and sharing it
Forgiveness
Pope Francis said,
"We can improve our witness through charity towards our brothers and sisters, fidelity to the Word of God, and forgiveness. Charity, Word, forgiveness. It is forgiveness that tells whether we truly practice charity towards others, and if we live the Word of God. Forgiveness [in Italian perdono], is indeed as the word itself suggests, a greater gift [dono], a gift we give to others because we belong to Jesus, forgiven by him. I forgive because I have been forgiven: let us not forget this…
Let us think, let each one of us think of his or her own capacity to forgive: How is my capacity to forgive, in these days in which perhaps we encounter, among the many, some people with whom we have not gotten along, who have hurt us, with whom we have never patched up our relationship.
Happy Christmas for Migrants?
We know that the holy family of Mary, Joseph, and their infant, Jesus unexpectedly became refugees when they were forced to escape to Egypt with their meager belongings. As a result, the status of refugee is elevated to a sacred status because the Son of God himself wore it. In the face of a migrant and refugee, we see face of Christ. We are all migrants on a journey. St Paul says "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await, a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3:20)
Migrants are a modern day representation of the Church. In them we can meet the Lord, who requests charity, generosity and sanctuary. Will I be a Good Samaritan this Christmas?
Let us ask the newborn Jesus for the newness of a heart capable of forgiveness:
We all need a forgiving heart!
Let us ask the Lord for this grace: Lord, may I learn to forgive.
Let us ask for the strength to pray
for those who have hurt us, to pray for those who have harmed us,
and to take steps of openness and reconciliation.
May the Lord give us today this grace."
Pope Francis
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