“In the shadows and silence of that holy night, a great and inextinguishable light shone forth for every person; the great hope that brings happiness entered into the world: ‘the Word was made flesh and we saw his glory.’” — Pope Benedict XVI
Mornings are particularly beautiful here at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Maryland, US. The large East-facing windows of the friary offer an ideal view of the rising sun and the display of colours it throws across the horizon. The darkened land gradually gives way to the golden light glimmering across the edge of the world, and then the pinking of the clouds, and finally, the glorious dawn that reveals the fields and farmland in their beautiful array. And it all happens in silence.
Experiencing these glorious sunrises invites a praying with new meaning the Benedictus canticle of Zecharia in the gospel of Luke:
The loving-kindness of the heart of our God
Will break upon us like the dawn from on high.
He will give light to those in darkness,
Those who dwell in the shadow of death,
And guide us into the way of peace.
For me, this is the meaning of Christmas – the tender love of God breaking into the darkness of our lives in the Christ-child. Like the glorious light of a new dawn, the comforting light of God flows from the highest heavens into the often-grim bleakness of our world. Sometimes when you’re fortunate enough to walk into a room and catch the bright sunlight bathing a part of the room in golden light, it immediately lifts your spirits and changes the whole quality of the moment. Or when in a darkened church on a grey day, the clouds shift and a shaft of bright sunlight bursts in through a stained-glass window high up, painting the sanctuary and pews in a magnificent carpet of bright colours. In special moments like these one instinctively gives thanks to God for these passing but significant moments wherein he uses the natural light to give us an analogy of how He often and suddenly pierces the gloom of our hearts with the wonderful joy of His gracious presence.
In those moments when we feel a spirit of goodness break through into a situation that appeared to be full of tension and unspoken conflict – this glimmer of light is the beginning of healing and reconciliation. When in a desperate situation that seems irredeemable and lost, we are offered a way out that arrives from seemingly nowhere – this is the light of hope breaking in. In the many moments of our lives when a situation is changed for the better by an unexpected event, person, insight, or feeling – this is the light finding its way into darkness. We discover that even in the depths of darkness, the light of God reaches down and breaks through. Sometimes it begins as a mere glimmer on the edge, that offers us a renewed perspective or an uplifting insight. Sometimes it is a glow on the horizon of our moods and thoughts that gradually becomes a growing brightness that changes our whole outlook. And sometimes, gently but insistently the Lord arrives as a ray of light that that leads us out of the shadows and into a new day of His presence. In these moments, we know again the joy of Christmas in which the Lord arrives in radiant light and reveals, in the darkness of our lives, the glory of His bright presence.
As Divine light breaks upon us from on high in the Christ child this Christmas, may our reliving into the mystery of the loving kindness of the heart of our God, and fill us with hope for the fulfilment of His promises. Let us pray that the humility of God in the baby of Bethlehem soften our hearts this season, that we may be open to the gifts of healing peace in our families, compassion for those who suffer, and goodwill to all people. May the humble light of God in Jesus teach us to trust in His love for us and the whole world.
Friar Terence Bateman OFM Conv
