Joseph Lewis D’Silva
Advent is a period of four Sundays just before Christmas. It is a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth and to look forward to His second coming, when He will reunite Heaven and Earth once and for all.
Advent is marked by lighting of four candles, on the four Sundays leading to Christmas. The first candle is called the prophecy candle. The second is called the Bethlehem candle of peace. The third is called the shepherd’s candle. The fourth is called the Angel’s candle.
God chose the circumstances for His Son’s entrance into the world --- a carpenter for the earthly father; a modest maiden for the mother; obscure hill country for the homeland; a lowly stable for the birth place; with cattle for the background and shepherds as guests and company.
The manger meant to feed the cattle as His bed. God chose His Son to be born in a manger as a symbol that His Son to be food for men to feed on. These were the humble beginnings that the Son of God was born with.
The voices heard during the first Christmas were - (a) The voice of the innkeeper: “There is no place in the inn.” (Lk.2:7). When our hearts are full of hatred and jealousy, is there a place for Christ to be born in our heart? (b) Voice of the Magi who came from the East to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.” (Mt. 2:2). (c) Voice of Herod who said to the Magi, “As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. This showed Herod’s criminal mind of jealousy to kill Jesus. Herod’s voice grew over the years and finally said …’crucify him, crucify Him’. (Mt. 27:23).
The Magi, guided by the ‘star’ went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. They saw the child and worshiped Him and gave gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. They returned to their country by another route. (Mt. 2:9-12). When King Herod saw that he was tricked by the wise men, he was in a furious rage, and sent his men and killed male children in Bethlehem. (Mt. 2:16).
The birth of Christ is filled with mysterious circumstances that defy expectations: for God to come in human form; for a king to be born in poverty; amidst the choirs of angels and in the glow of the star of Bethlehem; for Him to be a teacher without education; for Him to be a healer without the study of medicine; for Him to be a reformer without any army and to be a revolutionist even though His family being orthodox.
It is necessary for the inner eye of the heart to open on an inward journey, in the cave of our hearts; which of the three voices does one belong to as we travel through this life? Is it the voice of the innkeeper, the Magi or the hypocritical voice of King Herod?
The road to Bethlehem is the road to inner silence. Spending a few hours in the Church, each day, does not make one a Christian; just as owning a piano does not make one a musician. So, to be truly a Christian one must live and practice Jesus’ teachings.
As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the humble birth of Jesus and reflect on how we can invite him into our hearts, just like the Magi did, with reverence and worship.