Christmas Message of Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, Bishop of Oyo, Nigeria (www.CatholicDioceseOyo.org):
Merry Christmas to all God’s children! Glory to God in the highest and peace to all who are God’s friends. Christmas can still be the happiest time of the year, if we celebrate it genuinely. We can all still see the angels of Bethlehem and hear their sweet carol if we allow the authentic Christmas to happen. We can all give glory to God and bring peace to men and women of goodwill on earth if we celebrate like the shepherds, the happy news that God so loved the world and sent his only son to save all those who believe. For true Christians the incarnation which sliced human history in two halves, before and after Jesus, coming has not changed a bit. It remains the event which the prophets foretold about, that it would bring the world salvation and succour. Jesus is still the evidence of the hopes and dreams of all the years. Emmanuel, God is still with us.
Moving Away from God’s Peace
If you feel God is far from you, guess who moved! God never does. Yet, Christmas, for so many people in the world today no longer means joy and jubilation. Millions of people, caught up in the conflicts, wars, famine, disasters, deprivations and crimes ravaging many parts of the world know only pain and death. Too many people are suffering and are sad because too little people get everything while too many people get nothing. Hope now has little meaning for many and there is no joy in places where hypocritical leaders, chosen to bring relief and comfort, turn rather into cruel, sadistic despots, oppressors and exploiters. Humans are thus departing from God’s holy plans. Science and technology, given by God to man to dominate the earth with, are largely made tools of exploitation and marginalization by only a few elites with no consideration for justice or moderation. The advent of Jesus through the family is betrayed by the discord and division in families and communities all around. How can we proclaim a feast for the lord of life when all around we tolerate and cause the death and destruction of so many innocent children and defenseless people? Modern, woke Christmas which focuses on trees, bright lights, costly presents and fine dinners will not give joy to the world if Jesus is not at the center of it all. He is the reason for the season, the rejoicing, the eating, the drinking and the singing. If we never needed the Lord before we sure do need him now. For in Him alone is our peace.
Let Jesus in
Only by emulating Jesus’ compassion, and love can we heal our ailing humanity. Unless we bring Jesus’ light into the dark corners of the hypocrisy, deceit, selfishness and wickedness of today, our world cannot have peace. As Pope Francis urges us, in this Jubilee of Hope we must hold on to our dream of a better world and meet our dream with our determination to keep putting Christ back at the centre of everything so that the world may accept Him. As the empires of hate and violence crumble all around we cannot lose grip of that source of hope, Jesus, who alone is genuine love. For just as the candles of advent signify hope, peace, joy and love for humanity we must re-present him in our changing realities and thus confirm that He gives all that is needed to make a difference.
Take Salvation Personally
If we all proclaim and claim Jesus as the way, the truth and life, in our individual spaces, evil can only resist for a short while. Thus, God reassures us: “If my people who bear my name humble themselves and pray and seek my presence and turn from their wicked ways, then I will listen from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their country. (2 Chronicles 7:14). Yes, would that like the three kings, world leaders follow the star of truth, and act in the light of justice and righteousness, how quickly things would turn around for better for our world!
Do All Things the Jesus Way
Jesus overturns all we know and love about power, wealth influence and clout. Possessing it all, he favoured the weak, the poor and oppressed. As son of God, He came to a lowly manger. As king He rode on a donkey and even at death he lay in a borrowed grave. At Christmas, the baby of Bethlehem invites us all to become truly human. In becoming man and taking responsibility for our salvation Jesus calls us to be fully human. by being answerable to God for our brothers and sisters who are most in need, the dying, the weak, the sick, the ignorant, the suffering, and the wandering. The outstretched hands of the baby Jesus invite us to bend to His embrace in humility. If he descended so low to be like us, we must bend down beyond our own desires, security and comfort zone to embrace others in love, peace and reconciliation. His authentic Christmas queries all the glamour and glitz which we covet today, calling us to focus less on pleasure for ourselves and work more for the pleasure of all. That is when Christmas joy will really stay with us and transform our entire world.
Hand the World Back to God
Let us all live out the true Christmas, expressed in love, solidarity, generosity, restoration, reparation and reconciliation. Yes, the son of God came to reconcile the world to God. Christmas invites us all to his manger for love, truth and justice, of sincerity, compassion and humility so that we may all shine like light in the darkness. Let us all believe that it is possible for everyone to be happy in this world. Joy to the world then, for the Lord is born, let the earth receive her King.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Nigeria.
