Music touches our hearts. Lights and colors brighten our dispositions. Kind words can be so sweet that we savor them for years. Festive foods make our mouths water. Stories of faith and love draw hope out of despair. Choirs singing, decorations glittering, gifts being given – signs of Christmas!
Life would be so dreary without choirs of angels, without a star leading to unimaginable Treasure, without a spotless Virgin singing lullabies to her newborn Son. We rejoice in the magic of Christmas!
God has a reason for giving us such romantic feelings. Unless we feel loved, we could never have the courage to love others. Unless God sings songs of mercy to our hearts, we could not have the ability to reconcile with those who have offended us. Without angels singing of “Peace on earth,” we could not endure the challenges of establishing the justice upon which true peace is based. Without God-become-human in Jesus, we could never see the true image of God in every human being. Without the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, our words would be empty.
God sends us out to do so much. To foster strong families when family life is threatened by dead-end dreams of self-fulfillment. To feed the hungry and shelter the homeless when we ourselves are struggling to make ends meet. To speak up for sisters and brothers hidden away in the womb when they are legally considered less than human. To live with pure hearts when lust is celebrated all around us. To stand firm in our commitment to peace in our homes and among nations when the “standard operating procedure” is violence and war. To be nailed to a cross when we have only done good.
How could we have the strength and courage to do what God demands, unless he had first come to live among us, to take up the challenges of life with us, and to remain with us always so that we would never again be alone or frightened? We sing with the angels. We worship with shepherds and kings. We celebrate all the magic of Christmas because we know how real it is. Christ is born for us! Let us rejoice and be glad!