In a certain kingdom, there existed a very wealthy king. This king was known to be very generous, merciful and just. He never compromised anything for evil and always maintained his subjects were disciplined. He was comfortable but his only problem was that he had no child to succeed him. This caused him so much distress until he adopted a little boy who grew up as his son and became an heir to the throne. He provided everything possible to make life comfortable for him in the palace. He made him little less than himself and gave him the freedom to do everything except to sit on his throne until he is crowned king. The king ordered all the servants to obey the prince. One day while the king was asleep, some foreign visitors came to see the king and a servant suggested to the prince to appear as the king and attend to the visitors since he was an heir to the throne. The prince clothed himself as the king and attended to the visitors. When the king learnt of this, he was enraged and sent the son away. The son suffered outside the palace and wished he could return. He lost the hope of inheriting the kingdom, became sick and was under captivity. The king later had pity on the son and was looking for a way to recall the boy. One day, he sent out a messenger to announce the good news of forgiveness, deliverance and restoration to this son. Imagine the joy this son would have on seeing the messenger advance towards him with the message of hope.
This story is similar to the story of the fall of man who abused the freedom God gave him and lost paradise. This broken relationship between God and man made the salvation of man hopeless and helpless until God promised to save man and restore him to his former glory through the redemptive work of Christ. The Israelites were in this condition of hopelessness and helplessness when God announced the Good News of deliverance through the prophet Isaiah in the first reading. This deliverance and restoration was a foretaste of the redemption to be brought by Christ not just for the Israelites, but for the whole of humanity.
Today, at Christmas, we celebrate the beginning of this redemptive work of Christ. We recall Christ’s birth as a revelation of God’s love for us, as an assurance of hope, as a promise of deliverance from captivity and sin and as a sign of reconciliation between God and man, man and man and man and nature. The second reading reminds us of this great role Christ played by purifying us of our sins, reconciling us with the Father and sitting at the Father’s right hand to intercede for us. There was no better person to play this role than Christ, the one that has existed since the beginning. The gospel calls him the Word through whom all things were made. This Word had to become flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary so as to save us.
Therefore, as we celebrate this great feast, we are invited to rejoice as the son who saw the harbinger of the good news of his deliverance and restoration for Christ is the Good News we have been waiting for and he is the light that will dispel the darkness in our hearts. The presence of Christ should fill our thoughts this season and ever so that we live out the antecedents of the Christmas season. This is a season of hope, reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration, joy and peace. We must let people experience Christ in us through the peace we shall build among our brethren.
Have you really encountered Christ this season? Behold him the Light of the world asking you to allow him illumine your hearts and dispel the darkness therein. Have you given him a chance? What is your response to God’s love for you, have you transferred this joy to your neighbour?
I really appreciate your eforts. keep on keeping on
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