Two thousand years ago the world was a dark place, a place of oppression, poverty, inequality, injustice. Into that dark world a child was born, a child of whom St. John says: “The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world”. And, yet, that child who came to enlighten the world was himself a victim of that dark world. He was born in harsh circumstances, in an animal cave, far away from his parents’ home. His little family was forced to flee because his life was in danger from a cruel dictator. I wonder was there ever during the past 200 years a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ when the world was not a dark place, a place of oppression, poverty, inequality, injustice? I fear not. As we celebrate Christmas 2000 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, there are 826 million people going to bed at night hungry, 33 million people infected by HIV/AIDS. The forty poorest countries in the world are crippled with unrepayable debts. This is still a dark world. The child whose birth we celebrate came to show us the way out of this darkness. But for 2000 years humanity has not listened – or, rather, only a minority listened. Jesus’ formula was very simple: love God and prove your love for God by loving your neighbour: Love, respect, care, share, forgive and ask forgiveness. Jesus is the true light that “enlightens everyone”. Jesus shows us how to be truly human and how to build a human world. He shows us how to be truly happy and fulfilled in this life and in the next. In this faith let the celebration of the birth of Jesus be an occasion for hope and joy, and confidence that, inspite of all the darkness, light will ultimately triumph over the darkness for “the true light that enlightens everyone has come into the world”. I wish you and your families a joyful Christmas and a peaceful 2004. Most Rev Bill Murphy Bishop of Kerry December 2003 |