Christmas Mystery
Divine Power Not Limited to the Greatest
A Missionary of Charity once told me that Satan always wants us to think that the narrative is all about him. He loves to be the center of attention and to enchant everyone with the sense that he is the one in control. But, with a big smile, she declared that we know that this is not true. The story is not about Satan. He is not the center of attention and he has no real control. The story is about God and He does not need to seize our attention. Instead, he quietly invites us by unfolding a story so beautiful and wonderful, it can pierce our hearts. When we seek the God in swaddling clothes, we see a power greater than what grabs the headlines and manipulates a response. His sway over all that is hides in a simple movement of love. Entrusting Himself to humanity, the human family has good reason to trust in Him.
Where is hope this Christmas? Wars and rumors of wars haunt the world. Catastrophes and fear of catastrophe have filled hearts with anxiety and resentment. A sense of doom seems to choke the hope we need for the future. Death, disaster, atrocities, and horrors are visited on brother by brother and super-intelligent obstacles to all that is noble and good seem to have the upper hand. Yes … all of this is true because of the darkness that has hold over the hearts of men and women, families and nations. But in this dark winter of history, there is Christmas, and with this mystery, divine power enters into solidarity with the most vulnerable, and a reason for hope is born.
It is not through the might of men but through the tender readiness of a woman that God is welcomed in the world. This is why what is most important about the Church is not those with office and power, but those whose obedient faith make space for the Lord to unfold his fullness even in times such as these. The Church not only has a head but a heart - and it is for the sake of the heart that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. He came into the world to save all that is noble about the frail creatures he has raised up from mud, and to destroy all that threatens his holy image and likeness in the visible world. Misery is not unlimited - but it is circumscribed by the Divine Mercy that the Babe born of Mary has come to make known.
Through the mystery of woman, there is a light that shines in the darkness that the darkness cannot hold back. Hidden in the very structure of things, splendors of eternal glory shine through the tyrannical exigencies of the moment and flash with a new freedom. Held by holy hands, adored by shepherds and kings, protected by angels and animals - God makes Himself present in this dying world. He is the only new thing that has ever happened to it - and the source of a newness that it cannot account for itself.
Humanity has not been abandoned to itself and even if the Sun and moon fall out of the sky before a burning globe, God has implicated Himself in our plight and taken our side. In the end, His humble love wins while the Mother of the Prince of Peace smiles that we should have a new day.