The True Meaning of Christmas with Fulton Sheen

“In religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and the like, man is the wooer and God the wooed; man the seeker, God the found.  IN the Judaic-Christian tradition, the role of man to God is that of mirror to light, echo to voice.  What has revealed the love of God where we are concerned, is that He has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through Him.  That love resides not in our showing any love for God, but in His showing love for us first, when He sent out His Son to be atonement for our sins, and therefore our Saviour.”  

-Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

We love because he first loved us (1Jn 4:19). Our God, our Lord, our Savior sought us as a shepherd seeks a lost sheep. He left all of his kingdom behind, all of the security of his servants, everything in heaven to seek out us to save us from our sins. It has been said before that many times a baby has become a king, but only one time has a king become a baby.

In all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it’s very easy for us to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Let us take some time to reflect on the beauty and the gift that we have every day throughout the year in Jesus Christ. Let us remember that even though we fail and we fall and we don’t deserve any of the blessings that we receive through His Grace, His love for us is so astounding and so profoundly immeasurable that through His Mercy we are saved.

So how can we share this blessing? How can we share this gift? According to the Venerable Fulton Sheen, “the role of man to God is that of mirror to light, echo to voice.” So let’s echo His Voice of Love and mirror His Light of kindness and compassion and truth. If truth needs to be declared, let’s declare it with love. If unrest exists, let us face it with compassion and kindness. If people are hurting, afraid, lost, let us show them the love the Father first showed us through our patience, kindness, generosity, and gentleness. If we are rejected, we can brush the dust from our shoes and move on. Joseph and Mary were turned away at the Inn, but God had a stable waiting for them. We may well have to search for a stable some days.

Our Lord deserves our worship, no doubt, but He isn’t great because we make Him so. He is Who is even without our love and devotion. Yet He came to us out of His Love for us first. No other historical ‘god’ has ever claimed that. Let us reflect upon this when we come into His Presence this Christmas and ask Him to help us to love as He loves today and for all the days to come.