Gospel for Christmas 2021 – John 1:1-18
Gospel Reflections for Christmas 2021
Why would Jesus come here?
I hope your Christmas Season celebrations are joyous and wonderful. Yet, I know it’s easy to say that now. It was not so at that first Christmas.
Our Lord was born in Bethlehem, an area ruled by the violent and amazingly cruel Roman Empire. Excessive taxes burdened the people and Roman soldiers deeply oppressed the people.
Most people lost hope that anything could be done to improve their life. Yet, amazingly, an angel announces to Mary that she would bear the life of the Savior, Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Why would God bother to send His son into such a terrible world filled with such evil people? God sees things differently that we do!
God is love, and only love, and forever …only love. That means God only has your best interests at heart and wants you to have lasting happiness. God knows that it is only the person of Jesus that can provide that happiness for you now and always.
God certainly knows that there are evil and selfish people in the world but also knows that love is more powerful. That love, in the person of Jesus, is His gift to you at this Christmas.
Therefore, we never lose hope, never despair, and always feel confident in the future.
This Jesus who was born in Bethlehem would go on to found a church with disciples that He would train to courageously go into that evil and selfish world …precisely to change it!
They would never let anyone’s lack of faith, hope, and love, change their faith, hope, and love. If God so loved the people in this world, then so would they love them too …and call them to change.
You may think the problems today are insurmountable. Our Lord’s disciples never did!
Our yearly celebration of Christmas is meant to restore your faith in that original event in Bethlehem; that God so loved the world, as troubled as it often is, that He would send His Son to show the way of love and authentic path to your lasting happiness. God never loses hope in you, so never lose hope in Him as well.
We often say, “Have a Merry Christmas!” Our faith is not nostalgia for a long-ago time but is meant to enjoy God’s powerful grace for you right now.
I hope you will accept His grace now and have …right now in your life …a very Merry Christmas!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
A precious Merry Christmas to precious you Father Dave for you give us the gift of Jesus’ love so beautifully!!! I cannot imagine life without our precious Jesus!! He is our life!! He is our Love!!! Happy precious Birthday our miracle of Love, Our Jesus!!! Thank you our loving God for giving Jesus to us and thank you our beautiful Mary for raising our Jesus so beautifully with our dear Joseph at your side!!! We are so beautifully blessed!!!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Enjoy Gods powerful Grace for you right now & Merry Christmas!!
God bless you & your whole parish
Jane Maiello
Thank you!
Merry Christmas Father Dave. Argyle and Barbara Nelson
Happy New Year!
Fr Dave,,
Merry Christmas. Thank you for all that you do to remind us of God’s love & encouraging us to keep on keeping on, even when the going gets tough!
But, also, to do the keeping on with love.
What a wonderful reminder of how the apostles were able to do that in spite of the oppression & cruelty of the Romans.
It’s so easy to get caught up in today’s
political/COVID environment & forget that lesson
Blessings,
Sherrie Foster
Happy New Year!
Thank you, Fr Dave for your inspiring reflection!
I think the Christmas story is the greatest love story ever lived, from Childhood
to Resurrection and beyond…
We live forever grateful to our Lord and Savior who never tires
of loving us.
Happy New Year!
Dear Father Dave,
Yes, I will accept His grace, so gratefully, and with all my heart and soul.
God bless you….
Kathleen
Perfect!