In the mood of the Bethlehem night
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
Christmas – the feast of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ – is approaching. The promised Messiah is coming to save the world. He comes as True God and True man. As True God he gives his human activities the highest power – God’s power. As True man he acts on behalf of the sinful mankind although he himself was without any blemish of sin. This is our way of seeing the Saviour in the tiny figure of the Child, laid in the manger in Bethlehem. He is to fulfill great tasks that his Heavenly Father gave him. And he will fulfill these tasks throughout his life on earth. We come to the manger of Jesus in Bethlehem and to all mangers in the world to pay homage of gratitude to Lord God for his mercy for mankind and his gift of the Son who is born in poverty, which is the condition of most people in the world. Saint Joseph, who is to protect little Jesus, will bring him up and teach to work, and Mary, his Virgin Mother, will be his best friend and will support him to the end of his life. The Nazareth Family stands before us on this Christmas Eve, perhaps the same as it was last year, but somewhat different for each of us because it brings something new. In the mood of Bethlehem, and then in the mood of Nazareth, we want to see our families and ourselves. Looking at the manger of Jesus we say best wishes, especially to those who think and feel like us, Christians who are aware of the meaning of this great event for man. In the mood of the Bethlehem night we wish You, Dear Readers of ‘Niedziela’, all the graces of the Child Jesus. May the newly born Jesus light our souls. May our hearts be filled with God’s grace. May the lives of our families reflect the life of the Holy Family. And taking the spirit of Christmas to our Parishes we extend cordial wishes to them: may they abound in good. May we have children that will be joy of our families as well as the future of the nation and of the Church. May there be more baptisms than funerals. To our families we wish courage to accept new life without any hesitance and then bring up their children well. To those who are responsible for social structures we wish: may the laws they pass help develop the society and make every man grow in wisdom and God’s grace. To employers and businessmen, on whom many Polish families depend, we say: may you give jobs to all who ask for them so that all those who want to work in our country have enough bread for living. Many of us are responsible for the present condition of Poland, for the big unemployment, for the factories and for sale – the factories that made us famous in the world – for the lack of economic imagination. I think that in the light of what is going on in Poland we should restore our reputation in some way and try to amend the wrongs that have been done. Let us think at Christmas about these things so that these days were not spent in vain. Remember that we share white wafers, the sign of bread, good and innocence, the sign of clear conscience. The sign should influence our hearts... It hurts a lot when we speak about love and then we use common cynical words. May our love not be hypocritical in our personal, family, social and political lives. Let us look at the manger of the Child Jesus and let us express our love for those who are closest to us and to those who are not with us today. Let us think lovingly about our Homeland, asking Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to pour peace and love into the hearts of all Polish people. ‘Raise your hand, God’s Child, bless our beloved Homeland!’
"Niedziela" 51/2007