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The Christmas Festival has almost been taken over by secularism, almost, but not quite. The City of Birmingham last year tried to rename the Christian celebration, "Winterfest" or something similar amidst many protests. This year Milton Keynes has followed their example, all in the cause of being politically correct! We are still essentially a Christian nation, even if fewer people are seen in church for regular worship. Christmas is a Christian festival - "Christ's Mass". It is a celebration of the belief that God the maker of all things and the source of all life, came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ in human form, which the church calls the incarnation. This human birth of God is the foundation of our salvation - "for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven", as we recite in the Creed at the Eucharist. We have been saved, are being saved, will be saved, from sin and death by the life and death of Jesus Christ, all summed up in the theological word - 'Redemption'. Christmas is truly "Christ's-Mass", because in the Eucharist (The Mass) we "give thanks" for the gift and mystery of life. God came down to earth in Bethlehem to share his life with us in Jesus Christ. We share that new life with others by inviting them to share our Christian Faith. This year Christmas will have some sad memories for many Christian people, and as we remember all those who were killed in New York in September, we should remember too the many others in Afghanistan who are homeless, and innocent victims of this present struggle. Their poverty and destitution reminds us of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, when there was no room at the inn. Many people have been saying recently, "the world will never be the same again" since September 11th 2001. It was never the same again when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem in the year AD1! We live in the same world for all our modern technology and sophistication. We still have the refugees, the homeless, the poor, the hungry, the illiterate amongst us 2000 years later. We in the west have the resources, the skills and the money to share with those who have nothing. Jesus Christ came into the world in poverty, but with the riches of God's grace to share with us. We Christians should be doing all we can to really change this world in this new 21st century, by sharing our riches with them. A happy and blessed Christmas to you all. Your priest and friend Fr Malcolm Ferrier |
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page last updated 7 DECEMBER 2001 |
