Joy to the World, Our Savior is born
May the Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ Be with You!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. God is with us. Our lives are forever changed on this Glorious Christmas Season. The Christ Child brings into our lives every grace and the fullness of revelation. Past, present, and future are forever touched by his birth. And so we greet one another by saying “Merry Christmas.” Be Merry! Celebrate the birth of the Lord. Be joyful, not just because a baby was born 2,000 years ago, but because God has entered into our world to draw us into His Presence.
Our Lord Jesus is born in a stable, in the midst of a difficult journey, in poverty and disorder, in a situation that must have astonished and grieved his parents. But angels surround the family with care. While St. Joseph and Mary remain silent and still with care, the angels rush to announce the good news to the shepherds on a nearby hill.
And during the first months of Jesus’ life, the angels continue to be present to the Holy Family through St. Joseph’s dreams, warning them of dangers and guiding them to safety. So many families today face the same perils and hardships as the Holy Family, struggling with poverty, driven from their homelands by war and other dangers. I pray and ask our families to pray to the Holy Family so that they may also be guided to safety by God’s holy angels.
As we reflect further with the Holy Family, we look at the image of the Belen – The Nativity. I will share with you what St. Francis of Assisi understood as the message of the Manger and it is clearer than most. The world had little compassion for a young girl in labor. She was offered a spot in a stable, with the animals. There was no semblance of royalty about the scene, other than the royalty at its center. That was sufficient. The King of Kings was born into poverty to draw us away from the riches of the world and into His Presence. St. Francis saw this birth as a call to holiness, a call away from the world’s riches and a call to the wealth of the Lord. It was, of course, St. Francis who constructed the first nativity scene.
As we celebrate this Glorious Christmas Season, let us not forget what is the reason for the season. It is for us to take advantage of God’s presence in our lives. It is where everyone including our families and friends must build on our “obedience of faith” as St. Joseph and Our Mother Mary have shown us so that we can see God’s presence in our lives. It is a call to holiness and to the wealth of the Lord.
I extend my blessing for a Merry Christmas to you and your families. Be Joyful for we have been chosen by the Son of God to be with him. We praise you and thank you, O God for this most blessed Christmas gift. Felis Pasgua!
Servus tuus,
Most Rev. Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Agaña
2010