The true meaning of Christmas

Bishop Ferran Glenfield, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, has a special message for the people this Christmas:

Christmas can be a wonderful time for children. When I was a child, one of the highlights of Christmas was a visit to the pantomime. This was organised for the senior classes in school. In the run up to Christmas, we would leave school after lunch and take the train to a nearby city for a matinee pantomime performance.

As the time for the pantomime approached, we were at fever pitch with excitement. One of my school friends called John was a larger than life character. He informed his close friends that he was going to do a daring deed on the day of the pantomime. When asked what it was he said “It’s a secret! All will be revealed on the day.”

The great day came and we all trooped off to catch the train. Each couple of classes filled carriages reserved for the school. The carriages were the old fashioned type with a corridor and compartments. My friends and I made sure we were all in the one compartment. As the train pulled out of the station, John was the centre of attention.

“I am going to do my daring deed on this train”, he said. "I am going to kiss teacher!” John declared.

“Teacher!” we exclaimed.

“Not our teacher,” John replied, but "Miss So and So”.

Now our teacher was a matronly figure with permed silver hair. Miss So and So was a young trainee teacher with long auburn hair and hazel eyes. Sometimes she took our class and, when you had to go to her desk, you were overcome by the scent of beautiful perfume. She was lovely and John was going to kiss her! How was he going to do it?

As the train sped on its way, it was about to enter a long tunnel and the lights dimmed. As quick as a flash, John slipped out of the carriage and made his way along the gloomy carriage to find his target. In no time, he was back with us and as the lights came back on he had a grin on him like the Cheshire cat.

“I did it,” he exclaimed, “I kissed teacher!”

Whether he did or not is lost in the mists of time and, of course, an 11-year-old boy should never have thought of, or acted with such daring bravado.

At Christmas, God did a daring deed. God came in person to our world. He came in secret, only a few people knew about it. Over the centuries before God came, he give some clues as to his coming through his spokesmen, the prophets. Their message was not taken seriously, very few people listened to them. Then one starry night God came in secret to Bethlehem. Shepherds who were in the fields keeping watch over their flocks were startled by a host of angels. These heavenly messengers told them news of great joy, “Unto you is born this day, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.”

God came in person in Jesus Christ. That’s the meaning of Christmas. The name Jesus means saviour. He came on a search and rescue mission to save us from ourselves, sin and Satan. In ourselves we all have the capacity to self-destruct. We all fail to keep our own standard never mind God’s. We fall so easily to Satan, the evil one and his schemes to destroy us. We need rescuing from all of that. Jesus is the only one who can do that. We need to turn to him and trust him as our Saviour.

This Christmas of 2020, God’s daring deed is still probably the best kept secret. So few are aware of it. As a result, people are living in the light of their own darkness. As the physical darkness of this time of the year and the gloom that is COVID-19 covers the earth, we need more than ever to hear the good news of Christ’s coming and to embrace his love. May you have a joyful Christmas.