Christmas Midnight Mass
Christmas is finally here. All four weeks of Advent we have been preparing, waiting and praying for the coming of the blessings of Christmas. And now Christmas is here. Yes oh! Today the angels are bringing us the good news of great joy for all the people, for to us is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This good news of great joy is for all the people of God. In lighter and joyful mood of Christmas, let me begin this night reflection with a story.
A little boy was helping his mother in the kitchen one evening and the mother asked him to fetch the broom from the back of the garden. The boy told his mother that it was dark out there and he was scared. The mum told him not to be afraid, that God is everywhere including in the darkness of the garden. So, the boy tiptoed to the kitchen door that led into the garden and slightly opened the door. Putting his hand through, he whispered into the darkness, “God, if you are there, hand me the broom quickly!”Darkness always comes with fear; darkness breads evil and crimes, darkness and evil co-exist because evil seeks to conceal itself. That the First Reading of our Christmas Midnight Mass regards the birth of Jesus as the dawn of light is thus very suitable; a very imagery indeed. Light drives out darkness. Light disperses fear. Light creates confidence and light prevents crime. Light guides us on our way.
Light warms and comforts. It supports life and promotes growth and even plants always gravitate towards light to get life.The Bible used imagery of light to indicate God’s presence as revealed at the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-8) the Pillar of Fire (Exodus 13:21-22) and Psalm 27 acclaimed: “The Lord is my light and my salvation!” The birth of Jesus brought light into a dark world.
Jesus came at a time the people of God were caught up in spiritual and socio-political darkness: centuries of compromised religion and oppressive foreign rulers.Thus, in anticipation of his birth, the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading rightly acclaims that: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shown!” Jesus came as the Light that illuminates; the Light that clarifies; the Light that reveals the truth. He came to reveal the face of the true God as we read in Colossians 1:15 โHe is the image of the unseen Godโ. God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness says John (1 John 1:5). Jesus explicitly declared: “I am the Light of the world.” And he makes an even bolder claim: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8: 12). That is where you and I come in as Christians: people who follow Christ. We are called, not only to follow this light, but to bear and reflect it wherever we are. Speaking to his followers, Jesus directly charged them: “You are the light of the world. You are like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Mt. 5: 14). It is therefore not just enough to profess the light as we do in the routine recitation of the creed every Sunday: “God from God, Light from Light” perhaps not even knowing what we are talking about.
As bearers of this light, you and I as Christians have a decisive role to play in combating the darkness that pervades the nooks and crannies of our world today: the oppressive systems and ideologies, the raging violence and wars, the social inequality and injustice among others. Why should the gap between the rich and poor, continue to widen? Why is poverty still an issue in a world where there is enough for everyone’s need? Why are the weak victimized; the minority, the stranger, the unborn? Why is family violence on the increase? Why is drug addiction holding many of our children captives? Why is homelessness and hunger still an issue today even in the developed world? These are all indicators of overwhelming darkness in our world.
The prophet Isaiah charges us to arise and shine for our Light has come! How much are we doing as individual Christians and as a Church to reflect the light of Christ so as to dispel the pervading darkness in our world? In his short period of public ministry, Jesus practically set the world on fire with his light, championing the cause of justice and peace, calling out oppressive systems and ideologies and liberating people both materially and spiritually. It wasn’t easy for him because darkness always resists the Light. In fact, right at his birth, there was an attempt to extinguish the Light with the envious and desperate King Herod by ordering the extermination of all newly-born males at the time of Jesus. Yet, the Light prevailed over that darkness.
Even when they killed him in an attempt to extinguish the Light, it took only three days for the Light to blow up even more powerfully. At Pentecost, the Light empowered the disciples who defied Jerusalem and boldly spread the liberating message of salvation to the ends of the earth with out fear.Over time the forces of darkness have kept harassing the many prophetic voices that bear this light, with many becoming victorious martyrs. We think of Archbishop Romero, Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Mother Teresa, who all stood up against unjust and oppressive systems. Those systems have more or less crumbled while their names still resonate with us, assuring us that the Light cannot be quenched because it is the Light of Christ, the Light of God. Jesus will feel somehow betrayed by us who celebrate his birth at Christmas, and watching that light in which he brought into our world is being extinguished today in the self-invention that has reached its peak in man’s rebellion to play God rather than be good stewards of creation. The light is being extinguished in the prevailing mentality of supremacy is always right. The light is being extinguished through the selfishness and greed of some people that bring untold hardship and misery on the many people. Jesus charged us: “Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Mt. 5:16).
Have a magnificent Christmas!
+AB Matthew Audu
– Jos
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