On Wednesday next 25th December we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity. We are celebrating how the Son of God came among us as one of us. In a humble stable, a fragile child, the promised Messiah, was born. In time the light of the Risen Christ would overcome the darkness and fear of the world and lead us on the road to heaven.

In his sermon for Christmas last year, Pope Francis reflected on how the Light of Christ transforms the world. The Pope called on each person ‘to rise and go forth, to leave behind all that keeps us inward-looking, to recognize the splendour of the light that has come with the coming of Christ’. That ‘light’ is the glory of the Lord.

We cannot delude ourselves into thinking that we shine with our own light. Individuals, no matter what work we do or how talented we are, do not shine with our own light.  Our role is simply to be reflectors, recognizing the light of Christ and radiating that light to the world. Christ is the “true light”, the true sun that lights up all things. Thankfully we don’t have to exhaust our energy lighting up the world!

Saint Ambrose, one of the early fathers of the Church explained that the Church or ‘The People of God’ can be compared to the moon. The moon can only reflect the light of the sun. The saint went on to explain, ‘The moon is in fact the Church… [she] shines not with her own light, but with the light of Christ. She draws her brightness from the Sun of Justice, and so she can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’.

Christ is the true light shining in the darkness. To the extent that we remain close to him, we are able to be a light to the people we are sent to serve. There are many stars in the sky! In a very busy world, our task is to seek out the star that will guide us to Christ and to follow his guiding light. The Wise Men found Jesus in the simplicity of Bethlehem. The light of Christ would in time draw millions of followers and guide them along the path of peace.

From the Ennis Parish Newsletter (Adapted)