As we
prepare our hearts for Christmas, let us sit at the feet of a spiritual giant
and listen to his wisdom.
Christmas is a celebration deep in meaning. God wanted to teach us
countless spiritual truths, but they aren’t always easy to decipher. That’s why
sometimes we need to look back and learn from the spiritual giants of the past
to understand what God was trying to reveal to us.
One such giant was Blessed John Henry Newman, an Anglican priest
who converted to Catholicism and become very influential in the Catholic Church
in England. He was highly educated, but had a simplicity about him that
attracted many people. Newman’s sermons in particular were very
enlightening, geared at the common person, but steeped in spiritual insight.
For Christmas he highlighted two principal lessons, lowliness
and joy, when reflecting on the shepherds on that Christmas night.
Lowliness
Why
should the heavenly hosts appear to these shepherds? What was it in them which
attracted the attention of the Angels and the Lord of Angels? Were these shepherds
learned, distinguished, or powerful? Were they especially known for piety and
gifts? … there is no reason to suppose that they were better than the common
run of men in their circumstances, simple, and fearing God, but without any
great advances in piety, or any very formed habits of religion. Why then were
they chosen? for their poverty’s sake and obscurity. Almighty God looks with a
sort of especial love, or (as we may term it) affection, upon the lowly … The
shepherds, then, were chosen on account of their lowliness, to be the first to
hear of the Lord’s nativity, a secret which none of the princes of this world
knew … To men so circumstanced the Angel appeared, to open their minds, and to
teach them not to be downcast and in bondage because they were low in the
world. He appeared as if to show them that God had chosen the poor in this
world to be heirs of His kingdom, and so to do honour to their lot. “Fear not,”
he said, “for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.”
Joy
The Angel
honoured a humble lot by his very appearing to the shepherds; next he taught it
to be joyful by his message … “Fear not,” said the Angel, “for behold I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” … Such
were the words which the blessed Spirits who minister to Christ and His Saints,
spoke on that gracious night to the shepherds, to rouse them out of their cold
and famished mood into great joy; to teach them that they were objects of God’s
love as much as the greatest of men on earth; nay more so, for to them first He
had imparted the news of what that night was happening … It is a day of joy: it
is good to be joyful—it is wrong to be otherwise … Let us seek the grace of a
cheerful heart, an even temper, sweetness, gentleness, and brightness of mind,
as walking in His light, and by His grace. Let us pray Him to give us the
spirit of ever-abundant, ever-springing love, which overpowers and sweeps away
the vexations of life by its own richness and strength, and which above all
things unites us to Him who is the fountain and the centre of all mercy,
lovingkindness, and joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment