2nd Sunday of Christmas
January 3rd, 2010
‘Think of the love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God’s children’
1John, 3, 1
Christmas is the feast of love – God’s love for us manifested in a baby. Who can resist the appeal of a new-born baby, especially if he is born in extreme poverty? We are touched by his vulnerability, his weakness and dependence. No wonder so many want to lift the child Jesus out of the manger and hold him to their hearts. However when we gaze on Mary’s ‘boy child’ with the eyes of faith we see a divine child-God’s only begotten son, and so we fall on our knees in adoration.
As we ponder this great mystery of the Incarnation we recall those words of St. John, ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only son’ (John 3, 16) Yes, only love can throw light on the wonder of Christmas. God loved us so much that he wanted to adopt us as his children. We were to become brothers and sisters t his only son, Jesus. Surely he has lavished his love on us! And what does he ask in return? Only that we accept his plan for us and become his loving children.
So when we meet those difficulties and disappointments which are sure to be part of our New Year let us remember that we are a blessed people and take as our motto, ‘SMILE’ GOD LOVES YOU.
Prayer
God our loving Father we rejoice to be called your children. We ask you to send us your Holy Spirit so that we can become more like your son. May all your children of every race and religion live in harmony as one family during this New Year.
The prayer for each day has been prepared by various members of the Holy Family Association. All who visit our website are remembered in prayer. If you would like us to pray for a particular need, simply complete and submit the form on the right hand side of this page. You may wish to leave a comment in the space below.
Just a Thought
Hope
John XXIII, referred to as the ‘caretaker Pope’, realising the widening gap between the Church and the world of his day, wrote: “An old world is disappearing. Another one is being formed, and with this I am trying to conceal some good seed or other that will have its springtime, even if it is somewhat delayed, and comes after I’m dead.”
Thomas Merton writes: “One must not give in to defeatism and despair: just as one must hope for life in a mortal illness which has been declared incurable.”
Even when dark clouds surround us, even when everything appears to be falling apart, we must continue to believe for a better future. Whatever the problem, there is a way forward.
So, my hope is in God alone because I believe in him; this is my faith. It is in him I put my faith and that faith, my belief in God’s love for me and all his creation, is the bedrock in which like an anchor, I put my hope. Together with that hope and faith is my love and fidelity in responding to that God in whom I live and move and have my being. In him I place my hope.
“Hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:15-19).
