Christmas takes on many
meanings and has many messages. As Christians
we associate Christmas with happiness, celebration, and love. It is all of those, but the central and most
important message and meaning of Christmas is, “joy!” In the Gospel of Luke he writes, “The
angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good
news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has
been born for you who is Messiah and
Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11)
Christmas is about joy! But, I ask you, “What is joy” Some answer, “Happiness,”
others, “peace,” while others, “contentment.” Joy is all of those things. The
best biblical definition that I have found for joy is that it is an
abiding happiness and when one finds this joy the person is in
peace, in contentment, and most of all happy.
So, the greater question is, “do we have joy?”
Obviously Christmas brings us
joy, we find it in the love we share with family, friends, in the exchange of
gifts, coming to mass, etc. We also
experience joy throughout our lives, when we accomplish something noteworthy,
if we marry, enter priesthood, find a great job. As joyful as those experiences can be, there
is still a greater joy.
People crave that inner joy
that is abiding happiness. Sometimes we look
for it in the wrong places. Money,
gifts, and things bring fleeting joy, for they grow old fast. People bring us joy, but even that is not
perfect. So where then can I find this all
elusive joy?
The joy the angel spoke of
can be found in a small town called Bethlehem, in a manger, found in a little
baby called Immanuel, for God is with us.
The Christmas message from God is that His Son is our joy - abiding
joy. That joy is found today in its
introduction in the world, but it must move from the manger into here (point
towards the heart).
This joy is also found at
mass. We find it together every week,
right here in this place, because at mass we celebrate Christmas and Easter
every Sunday. That is why our Lord left
us the Eucharist so that we can experience His joy always.
The joy that was found by the
shepherds, the farm hands, and eventually the wise men from the East was
something that penetrated right to their hearts and forever changed them. They realized that they were gazing upon the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and in the process they felt
the happiness we all crave, a happiness that becomes our very disposition.
If you seek this happiness
open your hearts right now to the Lord, He is welcoming us all. He is innocent and inviting, He is the infant
child whom the angel beckons us to go and see.
The angel as he told the shepherds also tells us, ““Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people. For today in the city of
David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”
Merry Christmas
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