From pastor’s desk: CHRISTMAS 2021
If you ever travel to the Holy Land, you must pay a visit to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. When you arrive there, you will find one strange thing. Namely, the main entrance to the basilica, which presents a fairly small door compared to the size of the entire complex and to the number of pilgrims visiting it each day. However, you will certainly notice that many centuries ago there used to be a large gate that was subsequently filled in with the stonework. The story goes that in the medieval times some noblemen used to ride into the basilica on their horses – this was nothing unusual, since they practiced the same custom all over Europe. Because of that, the custodians of the basilica decided to put up a wall and leave only a small 5-foot tall entrance, so that an average grown-up man, not only would have to get off his horse, but even bend in order to enter the birthplace of Jesus. It was definitely a humiliating act for a nobleman to bend with other folks entering the Basilica. For that reason, it is also called the Door of Humility.
Nonetheless, the entrance door to the Basilica of the Nativity is just a symbol of much deeper theological reality. Namely, we have to become humble in order to see the miracle of God’s coming as man. Otherwise, our pride will prevent us from seeing God coming in the human form, like happened two thousand years ago, when only a handful of people recognized the birth of the Messiah. The Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph walked down the streets of Bethlehem and no one even recognized the Hidden Divine Presence among them. The Almighty God was so close to so many human beings, yet no one was able to see Him; no one was aware of Christ’s imminent appearance; “no one could suppose that this humble young woman from Nazareth is about to give the world its Savior, its King and its God. Only Mary and Joseph know and adore in silence” (Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, Divine Intimacy, p. 84).
We know that the Son of God, Jesus Christ has already come. But when the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, only a few were given the sight (and faith) of truly seeing Him, to really gaze upon God Incarnate in the baby Jesus. First, there were Mary and Joseph, the most beautiful and the purest couple that ever walked the face of the earth. They were filled with faith in God and believed the Word without any doubt. Then there were shepherds, the simple folks, pure of heart and trustful like children. To them the angels appeared and transmitted the message of joy. Because of their child-like faith they were given the greatest gift – the grace of feeling the presence of Emmanuel, “God with us”. After the shepherds, there were a prophetess Anna and a temple elder, Simeon. Both of them were people of deep faith and filled with profound knowledge of the Scared Scripture. They recognized the coming of the Child Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem. They saw the One that promised and “destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted” (Luke 2:34). Finally, there came the magi, those who were filled with true knowledge and authentic humility. They too were able to recognize the signs of time and followed them courageously through perilous journeys until they had found the One they were looking for their entire life. Having looked upon the face of God they were completely changed and could never again walk the same paths so “they departed for their country by another way” (Matthew 2:12).
Do we want to meet Jesus Christ this Christmas? If we truly do have the desire to see Jesus and God in Him, and to really feel His presence, we must humble ourselves and trust God’s Word. Indeed, “if we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our «enlightened» reason. We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevents us from recognizing God’s closeness. We must follow the interior path … leading to that ultimate outward and inward simplicity which enables the heart to see. We must bend down, spiritually we must go on foot, in order to pass through the portal of faith and encounter the God who is so different from our prejudices and opinions – the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby” (Benedict XVI, Christmas Homily, 12/24/2011).
I hope that each and every one of us will discover that God is close to us: in His Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ; in the Eucharist, where He is truly and substantially present under the sacramental signs; in our suffering brothers and sisters, with whom our Lord identified Himself— “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). May the Lord Jesus give you the grace of seeing and believing so that this Christmas you encounter Him in your hearts.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
- Janusz Mocarski, Pastor