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+LET US GO OVER TO BETHLEHEM Dawn,
Christmas (C)
The Solemnity of Christmas has a way of grounding us in our everyday lives, of
revealing just how close to us God really is. Let me wish each one of you a very
Blessed and joyous Christmas. It is such a graced time, a time to enter into the
spirit, the silence, the joy of such a wonderful gift. Christmas is not merely
another birthday event, but God entering into our human condition right now, in
this very world of ours today. When we hear those words of the gospel, “Let us
go over to Bethlehem” these words are for us, for “Bethlehem” means the house of
bread, perhaps a wheat belt in
the land where Jesus lived. What it means for us is to let ourselves |
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go to where we are spiritually fed, to that house of “living
Bread” that has come down from heaven. It is to go to Christ wherever he
may be found, in recognizing him in whatever God may be asking of each one of us
in life’s daily circumstances. The shepherds of our gospel went and “found Mary
and Joseph, an the babe lying in a manger.”
According to all of this world’s standards, this is no spectacular event, no
breathtaking occurrence but for these poor shepherds it was reason to glorify
and praise God “for all they had heard and seen.” In Bethlehem they found the
Savior of the world, wrapped in the simplest of swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger where animals were accustomed to eat. It is only faith that opens our
eyes to whom this Child is. He is the long awaited Messiah, the hope of all the
world, born into the poorest of human conditions. Indeed this Child is God
become flesh, someone who has come to know our very ordinary and deeply human
struggles. In this Child God not only entered into the weakness and poverty of
this one human family, but has entered right into the middle of our own. This
wonderful closeness of divine love is what is remembered and celebrated this
day. Here we have the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appearing
to save us, “not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of
his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit
poured out upon us.”
Let our hearts then be filled with joy and gratitude this day. Let us be aware
of the graciousness of this gift, the way Christ comes to be born ever more in
each one of our hearts. Let the Light of God’s loving kindness shine on you this
day and through you for everyone you meet.. God wants nothing so much as to come
and dwell in us. The Eucharist we receive at this altar is a constant reminder
of just this Divine embrace. The love that made the Word of God become flesh is
the very love that led him to give his life for us on the cross; it is all one
great mystery. May God help us to open our hearts fully to this gift and be
filled with gratitude. It is the greatest gift ever given.
Is. 62:11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20
Michael Casagram, OCSO
Abbey of Gethsemani
December 25, 2006 |
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Contact information:
Mailing Address
LCG, PO Box 503, Oxford, OH 45056
E-mail: info@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
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