It is rightly said, “A thousand times in history a baby has become a king. But only once in history did a king become a baby”.

Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore has touchingly brought out the divine encounter in human life in his beautiful song, “Have you not heard his silent steps? He comes, comes, ever comes. Every moment and every age, every day and every night he comes, comes, ever comes.” Jesus Christ’s birth in our midst is to propagate peace which is the most precious gift of God. As Christ visits us he reposes in us the message and meaning of life and mission.

‘Every child comes with the message that God is not yet disappointed with humans. The birth of Jesus, the holy Child of Christmas, brought a special message of hope to humankind. He was born to be the saviour of sinners.... Today, Christmas is for the people, by the people and of the people. Christmas is an opportunity to apply the message of Christ in each person’s life. It should not turn into a meaningless annual ritual,’ wrote Rabindranath Tagore..

The world is painfully different today. There are deep differences among us. We are constantly disturbed. Many of our cities are violent and unsafe. Many are deprived of their dignity and suffer rejection. Children and women are the most vulnerable. They are under great distress and are crying for justice.

Mob violence, lynching, rape and sexual abuses against women remain at high levels over the past few years. The Government crime figures report a figure of 31,516 rape cases in 2022 in India – an average of 86 per day. Rajasthan reported the highest with 5,399 cases followed by UP (3,690) and MP (3,029). These figures highlight the distressing prevalence of this grave crime across different states.

Today our houses, churches, prayer halls, properties and all we own are at great risk. One can sense the waves of fear and insecurity. Yet, in the midst of all distress, Christmas brings us the message of hope that life is meaningful and worth-living.

We celebrate Christmas in many ways. Some do it publicly; they throw big parties, wanting to share their excitement with others. Many organizations and offices organize Christmas carnivals. December calendar is often filled with social obligations. But they may not even know the inner reason why the party is being held. The spiritual aspect is often overlooked or even excluded.

Some prefer to celebrate Christmas privately, with their family members and relatives. This type of celebration is warm and supportive. There are individuals and families who reach out to children, the aged, the poor and the dying and destitute and express their joy by sharing a meal or distributing gifts as the Magi and the Santa Claus did.

Jesus Christ is not only a historical person; he is a metaphor for human life, an avatar of love, self-giving and companionship in the service of humankind. On this occasion of the birth of the Divine Babe, let me recall for us the essential truth of every religious

belief: ‘Religion is a way of life; it is an endeavor to preserve the beauty of our conscience and intention in our actions. Religions can never be the source of fundamentalism and violence. But the root causes of all violence flow from the hidden agenda and opportunistic strategies of our rulers from time immemorial.

We are the makers and markers of our destiny. On this joyous occasion of Christmas, let us pledge to break the boundaries of superstitions and parochialism, be illumined by divine delight that embraces us all and relieve the world of suffering caused by misappropriated manifestations of spiritual sentiments and religious fundamentalism.

Let me conclude quoting from the Christmas Message of Pope Francis:

“Christ is born for us; let us rejoice in the day of our salvation! Let us open our hearts to receive the grace of this day, which is Christ himself. Jesus is the radiant “day” which has dawned on the horizon of humanity. A day of mercy, in which God our Father has revealed his great tenderness to the entire world. A day of light, which dispels the darkness of fear and anxiety. A day of peace, which makes for encounter, dialogue and, above all, reconciliation. A day of joy: a “great joy” for the poor, the lowly and for all the people…”

“….Where God is born, hope is born; and where hope is born, persons regain their dignity. Yet even today great numbers of men and woman are deprived of their human dignity and, like the child Jesus, suffer cold, poverty, and rejection. May our closeness today be felt by those who are most vulnerable, especially child soldiers, women who suffer violence, and the victims of human trafficking and the drug trade…..”

On this joyous occasion of Christ’s birth, I wish the Herald readers A Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year 2024.