Merry Christmas and all praise to God.
It is good that every year on Christmas we focus on the most important person of this day – the child in the manger. And it is good that we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas – that God has come into our world, that God, out of his great love for us, chose to become one of us. It is good to reflect on our God, who dwelled among us, and continues to do so, our God who easily relates to, and empathizes with, our human frailty, our sorrows, and our sufferings. And of course we reflect on our God who also shares in our happiness, our rejoicing, and our celebration – like the celebration of this day – the feast of our salvation, and the gift of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
The notable theologian Karl Rahner says:
“Christmas is the event where God has spoken into the world His last, His deepest, His most beautiful Word – the Incarnate Word, the Word that means ‘I love you, I am with you’, the Word that demands an unbelievable fellowship, an astonishing communion between God and us. Christmas is the event where God came bursting into our world and into our life – an event that has changed all that we call the world and our life, an event that has provided a goal and purpose for everything”.
Today we thank God for His Word – the child in the manger – Emmanuel – God who is always with us. We thank God for Jesus, our brother, our friend who continues to pour out His love for us on this Christmas day and every day.