With particular concern this Christmas, we turn our gaze to the suffering Holy Land, to Bethlehem. There the Lord came into the world in a stable and was laid in a manger where animals feed on hay, since his parents could find no room in an inn.  

Let us, then, look at the scene. Mary and Joseph do not seem to be a very fortunate family. Their Child was born in the midst of great hardship. Yet, they are full of profound joy, because they love each other and they are certain that God is at work in this astonishing birth. 

And the shepherds? What did they have to rejoice about? That Newborn Infant wasn’t going to change their condition of poverty and marginalization. It was their simple faith that helped them to recognize that the Child wrapped in swaddling clothes was the fulfilment of God’s promised Saviour for all the people. 

God came among us in silence and in the darkness of night. Why like this? Because the Word of God had no need of spotlights or loud human voices. He himself is the Word who gives life its meaning. He is the Light that brightens our path: “The true light, which enlightens everyone” (Jn 1:9). Christ’s birth was the victory of the Light over the darkness of evil and sin.

At Christmas we celebrate that our mighty God truly became “Emmanuel,” God-with-us. No barrier or any distance can separate us from him. God is so powerful that he made himself vulnerable and came to us as a defenseless child, so that we might love him. God is so good that he gave up the splendour of his divinity to be born in a stable, so that we might find him. In that Child Jesus, God became so close to us that we are able to speak to him personally and to enjoy a trusting relationship of deep affection with him. 

To give a deeper meaning to Christmas, I urge every family to set up a Nativity scene in their home. It is a simple but effective way of passing on the beauty of the faith to your children. Let them experience amazement and wonder at Jesus’ birth. The manger helps all of us to ponder in our hearts the mystery of God’s love that was revealed in the poverty and simplicity of the Bethlehem stable. 

Jesus comes to accompany our daily lives, to share with us in all things: our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears. Like the shepherds on that silent night, let us set out in haste and allow ourselves to be amazed by the Child lying in a manger who is waiting to welcome us. 

With my blessing, prayers and warmest best wishes for a joyous celebration of Christmas, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB