Silent Night; Holy Night!

 CHRISTMAS BREAD

By John Abraham Ayieko

Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

As we celebrate the spiritual birth of Christ in our hearts dear friends, kindly join me in reflecting on what ‘Silence’ this famous Christmas Carol might mean. What holiness? What calmness? What brightness? And, if you want, why night?

We are all familiar with the eeriness and scary silence that characterize the many nights of our experience. Today however, as we try to peer into the mysteries of God, we appreciate the fact that Christmas night is no ordinary night – both literally and figuratively. Like other nights, it is a dark moonless night, but a salvific night as well. It is a real night. A historical night that was the subject of many prophecies; a night that many generations waited for.

But it is also a bright night; a night that has brought light to the world. It is a night that brings light into the darkness of human souls; the light that John testified to in our gospel reading (John 1:6-9). We notice too that the brightness of the Star is aided by the darkness of the night. The Star is bright enough to guide the Magi to the birthplace of the child (Matthew 2:9-10). When St John of the Cross speaks of the dark night of the soul therefore, he perhaps is clearly inspired by our many dark moments in the life of faith that need to be guided back to the Bethlehem of our individual Christian beginnings.

It is a calm night as well. And within its calmness, Prophet Isaiah speaks of ‘…the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King” (Isaiah 52:7). This King, the son of David, has now been born. He is ‘Emmanuel’ (God with us), and he comes to comfort his people, and to redeem Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:9).

Christmas night is a Holy Night. A night when in the mystery of incarnation, ‘…the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…’ (John 1:14). It is a night when all creation is hallowed yet again, death is put on notice to be killed forever, and slavery, vanquished. Like Moses, Christmas night gives us a reason to remove our shoes and realize that the ground on which we stand is Holy. God is here!

Henceforth, God will now speak to us through a son, Jesus Christ ‘who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being…’ (John 1:3). Today, God allows the possibility of encountering him more intimately than ever before. His Son who is like us in all things but sin has been born. A Son who is of the same substance as the Father, God form God; True God from true God; begotten not made. This is what this word refulgence wishes to underline. He is begotten today and humbly joins in our ranks to teach us with his own life the crucial lessons on how to live, how to love, how to suffer, and even how to die.

And so while the little child Jesus sleeps in heavenly peace, we had better preoccupied ourselves reflecting on the many nights in our own lives that he needs to brighten; the many noises and voices that rob us of all calm; the many false attractions that hinder us from seeing his bright star. Yes! The Son of Mary is in town. He comes to hold our trembling hands and walk beside us as a friend (John 15:15).

Do you believe this?

LET US NOT HESITATE THEN, TO JOIN ‘THE MULTITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST WITH THE ANGELS, PRAISING GOD AND SAYING, “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE TO ALL PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL’ (Luke 2:13).

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!