December 22, 2004
Today's O antiphon, "O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart...", focuses on the reality that Jesus Christ is the only Savior and hope for all people. Just as some do not welcome the light (see John 3:19-21), some do not welcome Christ as King. Every human being must choose. God is so humble that He always respects the free will He gave us. What does it mean to accept Jesus Christ as King?
I recently read the four Gospels while on a beautiful seven-day retreat. This was a blessed opportunity to meditate on what it means to accept Jesus as Savior and King, to choose to follow Him. He is demanding! He is relentlessly calling us to a higher love. There are times when we do not want to hear it.
I am guessing that this was the motivation behind that horrible article in the December 13th issue of Time Magazine. If we can debunk the biblical accounts of the birth of Jesus, we don't have to take Him or His teachings seriously. We don't have to accept the light or follow this King.
During this Christmas, remember that the Nativity is not a nice story which inspires hope and warm fuzzies in the hearts of stupid people who are ignorant of the fact (supposed) that none of it is true. Christians are not people who say, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!" Because the story of the Nativity is true, we believe and accept Jesus as our King, working for the coming of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Down with Happy Holidays - Up with Merry Christmas!
Fr. Luke Fletcher, CFR
Vocations Director, residing at St. Joseph Friary in Harlem
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