When we gather to celebrate Christmas this year, we will do so in the shadow of much darkness in our land and across the globe. In the past year we’ve seen a disturbing rise of violence internationally and in our own society, along with an unsettling resurgence of antisemitism, ethnic strife, and ideologies that divide us and set us against one another.
Pictured: Bishop Frank Caggiano, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn, delivers the homily during Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church, Wednesday night, Dec. 14, 2022, in Newtown, Conn. The Mass marked the 10th anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. H John Voorhees III/Associated Press
As we’ve done since 2012, we also approach Christmas in somber and solemn memory of those 20 children and six educators who lost their lives just before Christmas 10 years ago in the evil and murderous violence of the Sandy Hook shootings.
We continue to struggle with the wound that was inflicted on us all that fateful day and is being inflicted again and again throughout this broken world. The senseless and cruel war in Ukraine and the gun violence, which now has become the leading cause of death of children in the United States, dim our sense of possibilities and security.
Yet, we need not simply look out to the headlines to be unsettled, but also into our own lives. As the pandemic nears its end, it seems that we are not filled with a sense of joy and relief; rather, judging by the behavior we witness on our roads, in stores and public places, we are more and more cross, impatient and confrontational with each other — perhaps a reflection of the trauma left by COVID and our own need for healing.
As we raise our voices to ask the Lord for peace, healing, and hope this Christmas, we must ask ourselves this question: “Where will this healing come from?”
In this season of gift giving, we should also ask ourselves what Jesus asked in the gospel of Saint John, when he encountered his very first disciples: “What are you looking for?”
The families of Newtown provide us with an answer. Soon after the terrible tragedy at Sandy Hook, there was a spontaneous reaction of faith and hope that led to the creation of bumper stickers and banners that proclaimed, “We choose love.” It was a profound affirmation of the belief that love can heal, and bring hope by shining in the darkest hours of the night.
So we are looking for and asking our Lord for strength to persevere, for hope in the midst of suffering, and courage to always choose love. Those who wish to be healed must choose love first, and we believe the Shepherd of Love and the King of Glory will help us each and every step of the way.
Christmas teaches us to never lose hope. God has come into the world and taken on our suffering on the Cross. In our darkest hours when words fail, we have a God who knows what it means to suffer, to be a victim of violence, to be disdained and left alone. He knows what it’s like to be heartbroken. And in his glory and victory, he wants us to remember that he is never closer to any of us — no matter what the suffering is — than in those moments.
Might I suggest that we also find reason for hope in the amazing images sent back by the James Webb telescope, which seem to offer a glimpse into infinity. In that vastness, we are each bound in love and light to one another through the deliberate act of a loving God, who has given us the gift of existence and will not abandon us. We are here in this infinite cosmos, and our response should be awe and wonder, and gratitude that God has entered our lives. This is what we celebrate on Christmas and what unites us as people of faith.
As we conclude the Advent Season, which has prepared us for Christmas, the sky has grown to the darkest point for the entire year. You and I in faith proclaim that light was born in that darkness. A light born in Bethlehem. A light that no evil suffering, violence or pain will ever extinguish. This Christmas, we wish to share that light with all people in a spirit of compassion and hope.
The Most Rev. Frank J. Caggiano is the spiritual leader of 400,000 Catholics throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport, which encompasses Fairfield County. For information on the Diocese of Bridgeport, visit bridgeportdiocese.org or its social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Originally Published at ctpost.com
