The English Sculptor, Henry Moore is unique because in his work what appears essential is left out; the light is let in…In his work the light always wins.
Of all the symbols of this Christmas Season, light is probably the most evocative. The story of how light triumphs over darkness has so much to do with why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 (at least in the Northern Hemisphere!).
The pagan peoples of ancient times saw the world as a great cosmic struggle between light and darkness. At a certain period of the year, the darkness seemed to be getting the better of the light as the days became shorter and the dark nights became longer.
Each year they feared that darkness would finally overcome the sun and the light and that their world would be destroyed. Then every year without fail something would happen around December 21. The sun would begin to fight back.
Ever so gradually, the days became a few minutes longer as the sun regained its strength. It was a cause for celebration and so began the winter festival of lights.
Appropriate
When Christianity came along it was looking for an appropriate time of year to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For Christians Jesus was very much the Light of The World who had overcome the darkness of sin and death.
They borrowed the pagan concept of the struggle between light and darkness and light’s ultimate triumph after December 21. Christians settled on the date of December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, The Light of the world. Instead of the triumph of the SUN God, the Christians changed the vowel and it became the triumph of the SON of God. The Pagan Festival of Lights became the Christian Festival of Christmas.
A prayer at the beginning of a New Year: God of this New Year, we are walking into mystery. We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring to us or how we will respond. Be love in us as we journey. May we welcome all who come our way. Deepen our faith to see all of life through your eyes. Fill us with hope and an abiding trust that you dwell in us amidst our joys and sorrows. Thank you for the treasure of our faith life. Thank you for the gift of being able to rise each day with the assurance of your walking through the day with us. God of this New Year, we praise you.
Bringing light to others
I am always acutely aware as we gather on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning that there are families and individuals present at Mass who find it very difficult to enter into this festival of light.
In fact the plethora of candles and lights only seems to highlight the darkness they are experiencing because loved ones have died, because they have lost a job or a home or because they just can’t afford the kind of Christmas their children may expect.
In fairness too, so many people make a special effort at Christmastime to reach out to those in darkness. These are the light-bearers, the ones who seek to roll back the darkness for others. It can also be a time to roll back the darkness in our own lives. How might you reverse or roll back the darkness in your life this Christmastime? Perhaps too late for a card but maybe a text or a call or even a visit to someone where there has been distance and darkness between you. A random act of kindness for someone on the margins not just at Christmas but on every other day of the year as well.
The reason we have Christmas is because Jesus did his part to reverse and roll back the darkness and bring the light of peace, forgiveness, mercy and healing into our world. We can best celebrate what he did by doing the same ourselves. We are his light-bearers!