Diocese of Fall River
The Anchor
Thursday , December 24, 2009
The manger reveals to us the true meaning of Christmas Christmas 2009 Dear Friends in Christ, “She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). As we celebrate Christmas, we return in meditation and prayer to the familiar scene of the manger in Bethlehem. Once again this year, the Lord invites us to gather around him along with Mary and Joseph, the rugged shepherds and the heavenly choir of angels. In the joy and peace of this holy day, we join people throughout the world who come with us to see and wor-
Bishop George W. Coleman ship the newborn Son of God. In his birth, our Lord becomes an infant to share our weakness and poverty. He sleeps not in a warm palace bedroom, but only on a bed of hay. He suffers the cold of night in a drafty stable. He shares his space with the cow, the donkey, and a small flock of sheep. During the current economic distress, Christmas reminds us that God knows our suffering; because, he has experienced it himself. He knows the hardships of the homeless, the temporary shelter of the soldier deployed to a foreign country, and the discomfort of the patient in a hospital bed. Jesus’ humble manger serves to make these holy. As Mary’s firstborn son, Christ enters the world as its light. He fulfills all the prophecies and all the
promises contained in the history of salvation. He answers the hopes and desires of men and women who found themselves walking in darkness, who had grown tired under life’s burdens, who were longing for freedom from their fears and anxieties. When God takes for himself the visible image of man, he reveals to us and restores us to his own image. He has created us in his image and likeness; but we have distorted and injured that image through sin. For the same reason, we also remain forgetful of and fail to appreciate our likeness to him. His birth, however, reminds us of our origin, renews us, and reconciles us to himself. This final consideration about the birth of Christ remains: He gives himself to us as a sacrament. By being born among us in time, he points to our destiny. He comes to share his Spirit and to live with us here and now, so that we can live with him in heaven for all eternity. So as we take some moments to ponder the meaning of the manger, we discover that Christmas is not about the pageantry, the holiday advertisements, how much we spend, or how many gifts we can pile up under the tree. It’s about the Son of God made man and the joyful announcement of his birth to the entire world. This Christmas the whole Church will gather around the altar to remember the birth of Jesus by hearing the Word of God, by singing sacred songs, and by receiving holy Communion. In faith and prayer, we will join our family, friends, and neighbors in celebration. We will ask God to bless the world and each other with the love that was born in Bethlehem this day. With prayerful wishes that you and your families experience the abundant blessings and love of the Christ Child this Christmas, I remain Sincerely yours in the Lord,
Bishop of Fall River