WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Celebrating Christmas

By Father Yohanes Akoit

Christmas is always identified with and connected to Jesus Christ. There is no Christmas celebration without Christ. This truth reminds us that the heart of Christmas is not decoration, holiday, or mere festivity, but Christ Himself. Therefore, the moment we say we celebrate Christmas, we are proclaiming that we welcome Jesus Christ into our lives. In doing so, we receive salvation and a renewed inspiration for living.

Spiritually, the birth of Jesus marks the moment when God en-ters our human existence. He saves us from the slavery of sin. His act of redemption restores the image of God that we carry within our nature. He heals and purifies our identity, which has been disfigured by sin. Through this redemption, He ransoms our lives and restores our dignity as children of God. The way is opened once again for us to enter His kingdom.

Historically, Christmas means God becoming man. He became one like us. He shares our humanity and our suffering. In this condition, Jesus shows us how to rise above human suffering, vulnerability, negative tendencies, and limitations. At the same time, He gives us an example of how to journey back to God. He enables us to develop our potential for doing good, being grateful, and becoming a blessing to the world.

Existentially, Christmas offers us a vision of reconciliation, unity, moderation, and tolerance. These virtues shine clearly in the mystery of Christmas, the birth of Christ. Christmas unites two realities into one. Heaven and earth are bridged through the incarnation of Christ. Spirit and matter are brought together through His birth. Without Christmas, these two dimensions would remain in opposition. Through Christmas, what was divided becomes united and reconciled.

Christmas as a bridge becomes a powerful inspiration for our lives. Many areas of life tend to fall into opposition: husband and wife, parents and children, Church and workplace, the body and sickness, past wounds and the search for inner peace, failure and future plans, hope and reality. All these realities can easily stand against each other. Christmas inspires us to seek unity and reconciliation. Problems and differences will always exist, but the message of Christmas is clear: reconciliation.

The path toward reconciliation is acceptance, forgiveness, toler-ance, and moderation. Standing for what is right is good and necessary. Yet Christmas teaches us to make space to be hum-ble, patient, and persevering. The more we cling fanatically to certain principles, the wider the gap between opposing sides becomes. On the contrary, the readiness to forgive, to reconcile, and to accept reality will help us maintain unity. Again, it is not an easy task to practice these virtues. But the baby Jesus will show us how to do it. Therefore, we are invited to open our hearts and our lives. Make room for Jesus. Let Him fill us with the blessings of Christmas and guide our lives with love and peace. Tell Jesus that we want to imitate His example. We long to have a peaceful heart and mind, to live in reconciliation, and to offer forgiveness.

We invoke His blessing as we proclaim: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:1–14).

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.