Merry Christmas – even though it might not seem or be merry for so many. But Christmas is all about revealing our humanity as it is a celebration about God entering our human experience, which does not simply refer to the Incarnation - God becoming human; rather God really enters into our humanity – with all of its beauty, craziness, ordinariness and stress.
As is typical of our commercialistic society, we often are given picturesque nativity scenes with the Holy Family perfectly placed around a peaceful or even laughing infant Jesus. A soft light surrounds the resting animals and adoring shepherds. But was it really a restful moment? Singing songs like “Silent Night” are quaint and nice reflections and hopeful wishes, but I don’t know of any birth or moments after any birth that are so silent and restful, let alone the one of the Holy Family and the events that led up to it. They are more than likely exhausted for more reasons other than Mary giving birth. Family life, indeed, life in general is often tiresome and stressful for us, and surely for the Holy Family as well.
The Gospel of Matthew tells us: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, ‘God is with us’” (Mt 2: 22-23). The significance of Christmas is that God wants to be with us, even when that means being with us in our weakness, limitations, fleeting times of happiness and stress. Despite all the difficulties, if people and families can still come together in love to celebrate the birth of Christ, then we are living the reality of Christmas.
Thanks to the Stewardship of the people of our parish, we’ve been able to replace curbings and sidewalks around our Church, including the newly landscaped entrance to the parish offices and meeting rooms, and in the center of this new plaza is a bronze statue known as the Madonna della Strada o(Madonna of the Streets) created in Italy and donated by three families of our parish. According to sources, the original painting by Italian artist Roberto Feruzzi (d 1934) took a peasant girl to pose for this picture. When Ferruzzi first spotted the girl, she was about 11 years old and caring for her baby brother. He never intended the painting to be one of the Virgin Mary, but since the girl looked like a little Madonna, he called the painting Madonnina (Little Madonna). The painting gained world fame and came to be known as the Madonna of the Street. The new name reflects the spirit and flavor of the art work. The focal point is the girl’s face with its pleading expression and expressive demeanor. The colors in the original painting of the clothes and the background suggest hardship, toil and poverty. There is contrast between Mother and child: while the child is safely cuddled and resting in her arms, the Lady appears to be standing on someone’s doorstep begging for food. In the original, and hopefully in our statue, as people come into the presence of Jesus and into our campus here at Corpus Christi we see a direct and personal challenge expressed in the look of the Madonna, to open our hearts to her Son.
In our humanity and in our daily living there can tend to be moments of rest or restlessness; times of plenty and times of need, and our God desires to be in all of them and to help turn the tables on us so He may give us rest. He desires to hold us and care for us. So should we do for one another.
Our community at Corpus Christi, blessed with so many resources and opportunities should never lose sight of our call to be disciples of the One who knows and loves and perfects our human nature. We should always be welcoming to people no matter what their situation in life might be, and as we work together as a community sharing our gifts and talents, whether they be large or small, we participate in the Body of Christ.
Every Christmas we are all invited to remember that Christ comes to each of us again, desiring to be present in the midst of our humanity. We can live the Christmas season well when we keep our eyes gazing on the infant Jesus, inviting God into our humanity, and into our family and community life. Will Christmas be a silent night? Probably not. A holy night? Absolutely.
Let us come together – just as we are – and gather around the Christ child. Then offer a prayer of thanks, for truly God is Emmanuel “God is with us.”
God Bless,
