Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Vol. 7. No. 9 My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, During this season of joy and hope, we are once again reminded that God is closer to us than we dare admit. The all-powerful, all-knowing God who created the universe has become one of us and one with us in the Incarnation of Jesus, the Word made flesh. God’s most profound intervention in human history—and in the lives of each of us—demonstrates beyond any doubt how much God cares for us. The fact that Jesus is born so humbly, in a stable surrounded by his loving family, social outcasts (shepherds), and domestic animals, is a scandal by any human standard. We are conditioned to seek God among the wealthy and powerful— the “important people” who govern our society, drive our economy, and control influential institutions such as the media, businesses, schools, healthcare agencies, and, yes, the Church. But God surprises us. He inverts our values, showing us that the first will be last, the lowly will be raised up, the rich will be sent away empty, and the poor will inherit the Earth and all its treasures. During a homily given during the celebration of Vespers on the Vigil of the Patronal Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii (see selection below), Pope Leo XIV reflected on God’s desire to involve us in the mystery of our salvation. Quoting Saint Augustine, the Holy Father says, “God created us without us, but he will not save us without us. Thus, we are called to cooperate with him by living out a life of grace as his sons and daughters, making our own contribution to the plan of salvation.” Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the all-powerful Creator of Heaven and Earth invites us to be co-responsible stewards of our redemption and sanctification in Christ. God’s ways are not our ways. High is low. Rich is poor. Power is service. These are God’s ways, not ours. Most amazing of all the divine paradoxes is that the omnipotent God comes to us in the absolute vulnerability of a newborn infant, who can do nothing for himself and depends completely on the loving care of his mother and foster father. In his Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day in 2010 (see selection below), Pope Benedict XVI asked, “How can the eternal and almighty Word become a frail and mortal man?” and he concluded, “There is only one answer: Love.” Sacred Scripture proclaims to us “the great love story of God for his people which culminated in Jesus Christ.” Jesus, who is both divine and human, can be held in his parents’ arms, nursed by his mother, and protected from the elements by a simple stable. His life can be threatened by a jealous and cruel despot who slaughters the innocent. After narrowly escaping and being forced to flee to another country as a homeless refugee, he can return to his native land to “grow in wisdom, age and grace” in a community that nurtures and supports him and his family in accordance with the ancient faith of Israel. This is a strange story that has become so familiar over the years that we risk losing sight of its power. The Christmas story is much more than the quiet, domestic tale we have made of it. Yes, there is plenty of warmth, beauty, and hope here. In the dead of winter, when days are short and nights are long, it is comforting to embrace the Christmas story. And during tense and uncertain times like ours, it’s helpful to remember that God does not abandon us or keep us at arm’s length. But the fact of God’s close intimacy places uncomfortable demands on us. Are we living out the Christmas paradox in our daily lives? What are we doing to care for the poor and homeless? How are we working to change cultural, political, and economic systems that are unjust and oppressive? Do we welcome strangers, especially those who have been cast out of their homeland? Do we insist that society’s most vulnerable members, including the unborn, the elderly, and the infirm, are protected and cared for in the same way that Mary and Joseph cared for the newborn child entrusted to their care? Christmas is a season of joy and hope. It’s a time to give and share all that we have received from God’s abundance. The material gifts we exchange at Christmas symbolize the much deeper sharing God invites us to embrace. We are called to follow God’s example by gratefully giving ourselves out of love for God and for the human family. ¡Feliz Navidad! Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop of Newark