Editorial

Let’s do our part to keep the light of Christ alive in the world

“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

We again are a few days away from marking the Nativity of the Lord, where we celebrate the great gift our Creator gave our world in his Son, Jesus.

Make no mistake: while many in secular circles try to make Christmas a time for parties, gift-giving and other celebratory inspirations, we know this day goes beyond those sentiments.

We rejoice because the Advent season of expectation and hope has led us to today: On Christmas, we reflect on the gift of our Redeemer, a baby born in the distressing disguise of the poor in a manger in Bethlehem, who, despite his situation, came into our world bearing God’s mercy and enlightenment.

Through the mystery of the incarnation, we believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Scripture instructs us that the eternal Word of God leaped down from heaven when half-spent was the night (Wis 18:14-15). And we learn he is a child waiting to be loved.

Much has changed since our Savior was born 2,000-plus years ago, yet much remains the same.

In reflecting on Christmas several years ago, our former shepherd Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein shared the following:

“The birth of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago moves us to think about simplicity, humility and the need for faith. Perhaps romanticizing Christmas so much is our way of dealing with an awesome mystery and a perplexing paradox. The Creator becomes man, which is his own creation. The all-powerful who is without sin becomes one of us to save us from sin. Almighty God becomes one of us in the earthiest poverty. No one need be a theologian to recognize that we are talking about incredible love that could only be God’s. Surely, we are moved to love God despite ourselves.

“That is true for the most part. We must admit Christmas is a bright star in a dark night of the human family. We are awed by God’s unconditional love because we see too little authentic love,” Archbishop Buechlein continued. “Individualism and narcissism and the profit motive overshadow genuine love. Marriages come together and come apart too quickly, causing broken hearts for young and old alike. We argue about the right to have—or not to have—children as if they are negotiable property. There are heartbreaking numbers of lonely and poor people. Misguided energy goes into making promiscuous sex and drug abuse ‘safe.’ There are reasons why our human family is skeptical about unconditional love … .”

Travel across the country and around the globe and you see Archbishop Buechlein’s words from 20-plus years ago are as true today as they were then.

As people of faith, this sad reality should challenge us to do our part to make Christ more present in our call to discipleship.

As we celebrate Christmas and move into a new year, may Christ be born, here and now, in the stable of our hearts. May each of us answer the ongoing call to think with Christ, to feel with Christ, to have in us the same attitude of Christ.

May we open our eyes and see Christ hidden in the sick, hidden in the poor, hidden in the prisoner, hidden in the immigrant, hidden in the unborn and hidden in so many of our brothers and sisters who lack many things, including love. May we have the courage to go to the peripheries to assist those in need.

As we continue living out our respective vocations with the help of God’s grace that flows to us through the Christ Child, let us pray we continue to be rays of light in a world with much darkness.

And as we mark Christmas and move into 2025, let us especially pray nothing ever extinguishes the light of Christ.

—Mike Krokos