Reflection on Today's Readings, Christmas Day, Friday 25th December, 2021
Texts: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96 : 1-3.11-13; Titus 2: l 1-14; Luke 2:1-14
Today our minds are taken back to the beginning when darkness was upon the face of the earth and there was chaos. God came in and said, "let there be light" and there was light (Gen. 1:3). In today's first reading, prophet Isaiah links the birth of the Christ with the event of creation, saying, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." This tells us that in the birth of Jesus Christ God has visited the world as He did at creation. God has visited our world again. This time around He visited it in New dimension, not in form of Spirit moving over water but in human form living among men and making them His people, identifying with them.
What was the nature of the darkness that was upon the face of the earth at creation? The account of creation points to physical darkness: "And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night" (Gen. 1:4-5). Night continues to remind us the nature of that darkness that was upon the face of the earth.
However, Jesus Christ has not come to banish physical darkness but spiritual darkness. Since the time our first parents disobeyed God, man has been thrown into darkness. Here, darkness is the pervasion of evil and sins, the presence of evil and sins, the condition of being ruled by evil and sin, and the absence or lack of knowledge of God. Hence, St. Paul, in today's second reading, says, "The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world". He is a light because He has come to train us to renounce sin and evil, to renounce irreligion and worldly passions and to walk the path of holiness and righteousness. Until we give up irreligion and worldly passions, sin and evil, we cannot say Jesus Christ is in our lives, for we still live in darkness.
Today's gospel reading also gives an hint about the birth of Jesus Christ giving the signal of a new creation, new beginning. It does this by placing His birth at the time of first worldwide enrolment. This tells us that Jesus Christ is born to initiate a new beginning, a new creation. The time He was born tells us that He has come to enrol us in the government of God. Hence, it is a fulfillment of prophet Isaiah's words: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'". With Him we have a defender. With Him peace, justice and righteousness will flourish. The government is upon His shoulder because He has come to rule our lives. We are to submit to His government. We submit to His government when we allow His words to rule our lives, that is, when we live by His words.
O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature, and still more wonderfully restored it, grant, we pray, that we may share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Amen. (Collect)
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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