The Eve of the Great Light 2024 by Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P. Posted December 24, 2024 by admin@interfaith

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December 24, 2024

THE EVE OF THE GREAT LIGHT 2024
REFLECTION FOR THE DAY AS CHRISTMAS
HOPE AND LIGHT BREAK UPON US

In the midst of the night,
Jesus is born as a child of hope,
placed in a manger as a feast of love,
and proclaimed to the shepherds
as a sign of liberation.

             People of hope embrace difficult times as an opportunity to bring comfort and relief to those who suffer. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, places him in a manger as bread would be placed on a table. She invites everyone to the table of his self-giving. Remember the challenging words of her transformative song: “The greedy will be sent away empty and the hungry filled with good things (see Luke 1: 53).

             The manger is a feeding place for animals. Luke evokes Isaiah 1: 2-3 as the faithful poor know where to find their Lord – not in palaces sitting on thrones but in poverty waiting to serve. Jesus is born in the manner of his life – willing to offer himself as bread for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and shelter for the unsheltered. He is born into the World as it is suffering the circumstances of imperial oppression.  Jesus experiences that oppression in his new-born flesh.

             The mystery of this Holy Night testifies to God’s desire to be heard in the songs, hopes, and words of the marginalized and neglected. Heaven’s Angels sing “Glory” to the shepherds in the fields announcing the Child who will rival the Emperor and challenge traditional, hard-lined authorities. The mighty tremble and threaten. The greedy and powerful always tremble in the face of the Good News of peace, justice, and reconciliation. Like the birth of all children, the birth of Jesus signifies the rebirth of peace, justice, and reconciliation.      

             Finally, Christmas joins those great feasts of the year from the many Traditions of humankind seeking the liberation of all people from the throes of oppression. In every Tradition there is a feast of light shining in the darkness of our lives. The greater story of Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus from a global perspective. Magi come from afar, signifying the wisdom of the World’s people. A wicked tyrant seeks to slay him, symbolizing the persistence of hostile forces even in the midst of hope. Elderly prophets will see into the future of his life, proclaiming the great courage we all need in the pursuit of justice. 

             As the Holy Year of Jubilee 2025 begins with the opening of the Holy Door this Christmas Eve, we open the doors of our hearts in a time when so many desire the doors be closed, the light shut off, and hope extinguished. We are invited to walk through the open door of love and generous self-giving as we turn on the light, welcome everyone we meet, and become a beacon of hope and peace. Do not let those who claim success is for the selfish goal of resentment and revenge dominate your heart. Conquer the world through humility, compassion, and the practice of unbounded love. 

Peacefully in the Expectation of the Light Shining because of the Darkness