In the spiritual realm, human kind, left to its own resources, stumbles along without a compass lost in the wilderness of life trying to perceive, never mind locate, a path suitable for travel. Clarity remains elusive and the daily encounters with others offered by life is often uninspired by anything other than self interest. In short, the traveller looks and does not see, seeks to understand and does not perceive. This is our fate since the apple was stolen from the tree but fortunately is not the end of the story if we are open to God’s Word.
From the time of the theft of the apple, God’s plan was to restore us that we might be his adopted sons and daughters. The Old Testament authors prophesized the coming of the Messiah: an historical event that we are to celebrate once again on the 25th of December of this year.
The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus and his subsequent Ascension opened the way for the Holy Spirit who, with the other persons of the Blessed Trinity, came to reside within us as the result of the grace of our Baptism. As wonderful as that is, it’s not the end of the story. By virtue of our Baptism we qualify to be recipients of “fountains of grace” that God wants to shower on his children. It’s this grace that opens up our eyes and begins to dispel the darkness as we begin to “see” and “perceive” spiritually. With this process, if we are open to it, we begin to acquire spiritual wisdom. That wisdom clarifies the path God calls us to travel as we continue our earthly pilgrimage.
We need however to be always aware of the influences of darkness that surround us. Our spiritual wisdom has revealed to us the spiritual battles going on all around us although that may not often be visible physically to the naked eye. Nevertheless, the fruits themselves are quite apparent if we are seeing with spiritual eyes. As we each prepare for Christmas this year, we need remind ourselves that our delivery from the forces of evil is a direct result of the Incarnation and the subsequent sacrifice that Jesus made in love for each of us. We must however do our part by seeking out and embracing Jesus and others not only at Christmas but always. Let all of us take the opportunity this Christmas to resolve again to welcome our Saviour into our lives that we might be His Disciples and as such be His hands, feet, voice and heart to all those who stumble around in the darkness. May we move forward with soft hearts and hard feet rather than hard hearts and soft feet as we reach out to the lost sheep in our neighborhoods.
God Gracious 