Greatest gift of Christmas brings peace into hearts of all

Comment printed on 24 December 2002

AN Italian proverb says that everything does come for those who know how to wait.

In a world that can so often deliver the 'instant', waiting has not become easier. The reality is that waiting can test our patience, make us bored or lead us to dive deeper.

Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity that nothing is waste.

To learn how to turn waiting into a positive experience is a constant challenge, especially so in the weeks of preparation we have had for the gifts God has in store for us at Christmas.

When God wants to give us a great gift, he first gives us a great longing for it.

That longing in our hearts can grow when we have to wait on God's time for the gift to arrive. He may decide to let us wait so that he can heal our haste.

Especially at Christmas we want peace in our hearts, in our homes and in our world and that peace can seem long in coming. The Christmas message is that the gift is there but we need to make space for it.

For many of us a look back over the past year will intensify our desire for peace. Shining the spotlight on some of the darkness of our past has been painful and yet we have taken a big step forward in coming to name clearly what needs to be faced now on our road to peace.

The events of 2002 indicate that we are a wounded people. The pain of unhealed wounds causes anger, brings confusion and bewilderment, making our desire for inner peace all the greater.

That peace comes at a price for there can be no real peace without forgiveness, forgiveness offered and forgiveness received. As we struggle towards that goal, God's word says that he waits to be gracious to us. Christmas declares that this graciousness comes through Jesus who comes among us again to heal our wounds, to be a light for us in our confusion, to give us the capacity to forgive, to bring a peace the world cannot give.

One writer expresses the gift of Christmas in this way:

You came in the darkness of the night, but in our hearts there are corners that are dark, so you come at every moment.

You came in silence, but we are often reduced to silence, so you come at every moment.

You came as Prince of Peace, but since we don't know true peace, you come at every moment.

You came to console us, but since we need consolation constantly, you come at every moment.

Come Lord, come always, O Lord.

God's gift to a fractured world was the child Jesus. In the manger, Jesus was fragile, vulnerable, in need, of little significance as far as the world was concerned. Jesus became what we, for the most part, don't want to be - helpless, needy, little. He took on our condition, freeing us to let go of our masks and our pretence so that we might be more open to receive from him and from one another.

When our need for a saviour is a deeply felt need, then we are likely to be more receptive and ready to welcome what he offers.

If there is no felt need for him, then his presence won't make much difference because there won't be the space to let him in.

A gift becomes a gift when it is received. Many pass on Christmas gifts without even opening them. It is the gift that is opened, seen as personal and specially for me, it is that gift that is valued and makes a difference on how I live.

The coming of Jesus as Prince of Peace is that kind of gift. Yes, everything will come for those who know how to wait.

Bishop Martin Drennan is auxiliary bishop of Dublin with special responsibility for the South Dublin and Wicklow area.

Bishop Martin Drennan

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