The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
Isaiah 9: 1

May light dispel the darkness

On the first Sunday of November, we changed our clocks as daylight saving time ended. 
As a result, we were given one more hour to live in 2020! From many sources I hear 
and read, “Who wants to add one hour to 2020!  The celebration of Christmas indicates 
usually the end of the year; sure we all cannot wait until this year is gone.
What a year this has been???  To borrow the words of today's first reading - people have 
not only walked in darkness but Darkness ‘self-imposed’ itself on us!!  It has tempted to 
take control of everything in our lives and to weigh us down. When darkness gets its 
way in our lives it is for sure like (to use again the scripture words of today ): ‘a yoke 
that burdens’, 'a heavy pole of the shoulder’ or ‘the rod of the taskmaster’.

As a parish family we had ended 2019 very strong, in terms our parish life and spiritual 
life.  I was at the end of last year introducing new families at masses, our religious 
classes were full, you could feel a solid spiritual revival; our preschool was doing 
fantastic, we went above and beyond both of Partners in Charity and Grand Annual 
appeal goal and we had money in the bank!  Then that dreadful winter just a month into 
the New Year, we are invaded by an ‘unseen enemy’ (Bishop McManus’ words in his 
letter last Easter), and enemy with consequent darkness grew on us. It brought us 
illness and death, fear, isolation and total disruption to every detail of our normal daily 
living.  Because of this, we have come to know and understand how fragile life is!  How 
things can change just like that!  How we must hold on to those things and people we 
value most.

Throughout this year, we cannot recognize our faces anymore, lockdown and no 
lockdowns, the loss of jobs, the distancing and separation of families - the elderly here 
and the younger there; divisions and divisions that is what darkness thrives on. Then 
the crises, the movements: ‘Me too', 'BLM', violence and destruction of property and hate. 
Bishop McManus in his Christmas message speaks about the ‘waiting and waiting’ that 
breeds anxiety, but the worst of all this, we have been robbed of ‘joy’- the joy of 
parents, children, grandchildren physically meeting, the joy of gathering with friends, the 
joy of gathering at one’s parish, home or visiting a neighbor, the joy of conserving and 
talking like we are brothers and sisters

So, this Christmas for all of us means so much to us.  We, as Christians, are proud to say 
God has been good to us and on this special night (day) when we remember the entry 
of God himself into humanity, God who wishes to journey with us, we must once again 
ask ourselves again:  For what did Jesus come? Why do we need a Savoir?  Why do we 
need God?  Why Christmas?  This is the best way for a Christian to end this year-(renewing our commitment to God)

Why did Jesus come?

Jesus comes first and foremost as the ‘light of hope’ that comes to lead us out of the 
choke of darkness. This light of hope shines brightest in darkness. This light is a bold 
rebuke of darkness that it will never self-impose itself on us, no matter the damage it 
causes. Jesus, who is the light, is the true antidote to fear, death, isolation and 
disruption.  Whenever we make Jesus the center of our lives, he will lead us to the 
peace and joy that we seek. We are Joyful because we know the darkness does not 
last.
The second reason for which Jesus comes is so that ‘everyone’ might know and be 
included in the proclamation of the good news; that Christmas joy might be for 
everyone. We are challenged to be bearers/heralds of great joy to be shared by ‘all’
people.
Who are the first recipients of the good news? They are shepherds (the poorest of the 
poor).  Jesus himself chooses to be born like a vagabond (without a home), born in a 
stable and laid in a manger (feeding trough for animals). God chooses to come into this 
world against all human logic, not by a show of force and power, but by poverty and 
weakness and what is the point of this?  God is for everyone.  Everyone matters to 
God...So, the Christmas joy must be for everyone.

Christmas is not only a celebration, but a ‘mission’.  Let us not be tempted to live lives 
that contain only ourselves or selected few. Let us break free from all that separate us 
from others, let us learn to forgive even those who are guilty, share our time and energy 
with the down and out, find good things to say about others, include people in our 
circles of concern. It is only when we do this that Jesus himself becomes man. He then 
lives in you and me. His spirit is alive in the way we live amongst others, you can see him in 
our actions and words. The kingdom of peace and justice that the savior comes to proclaim 
is yet to come.

May the light of the new born child bring us the gifts of hope, peace and joy that we long 
for, but may that light also radiate through our manner of life.

A Blessed Christmas to you and all you hold dear!
Father Anthony.