25 December 2021 01:33 am Views - 277
This infant King comes to the world with humility, simplicity, poverty and non-violence radiating love and reaching out to all people of goodwill in outpouring self sacrificial love (AFP)
The glory of the only Son coming from the Father fullness of truth and loving kindness”
(From an excerpt on the meaning of Christmas given by Fr. Mike to all parents , students and teachers of the Suba Seth montessori and some other visitors when they paid their usual visit to Fr. Mike.)
In the reign of Caesar Augustus, the worldly political Lord, adopted son of Julius Caesar, riding rough shod over the ruled, with great pomp, prestige power and wealth and violent military conquest commanding a census to tax dominate and control his subjects,Quirinius was the Governor of Syria. Who were they? They were the best fed people with their tables reeking with exquisite food to satisfy their senses. They were the most luxuriously clad, living in palaces with their courtiers, the most protected with sophisticated military escorts. The writer of the Gospel, St. Luke is not interested in them. He ignores and undermines them. He turns his attention to Jesus, the Son of David, the King of Israel. This King is totally different to Caesar, Augustus and Quinirius. This infant King comes to the world with humility, simplicity, poverty and non-violence radiating love and reaching out to all people of goodwill in outpouring self sacrificial love. He comes to Bethlehem from the poor dusty outposts of Judea (Nazareth) wrapped up in swaddling clothes, without even a decent room or shelter, lying in the manger, a food trough used to feed the animals offering himself as food and drink for the hungry of the world. While Caesar and Quirinius get the most sophisticated military protection our infant King Jesus the Lord is protected with an army of angels who will fight with justice, peace non-violence compassion and unconditional Love. The visitors who come with haste to see this Infant King, are the poor good shepherds feeding their flocks in the surrounding hills of Judea, Bethlehem.
Here’s what the sovereign Lord has to say to the corrupt rulers of this system through the Prophet Ezekiel. The evil shepherds of any form who use violence, crime, oppression, dealing death to the poor: ‘My sheep have been attacked by wild animals. The evil shepherds were taking care of themselves without tending and caring for my beloved sheep. ‘I will take my sheep away from you and never again let you be their shepherd. I will rescue my sheep from you and never let you devour them. I myself will look for my sheep and take good care of them. I shall bring them back from all the places where they are lost and scattered and disillusioned. I will take them out from foreign countries, gather them together and bring them back to their own land to the mountains and streams and feed them in pleasant pastures. I will let them graze in safety in the mountains meadows and valleys and in all the green pastures. I myself will be the Shepherd of the sheep and shall find a place for them to relax and rest. I will rescue my sheep and not allow them to be ill-treated anymore. (Ezekiel 34)
When the true Shepherd King comes with his array of angels He will sit on the Royal Throne. He will separate the sheep from the goats. Then the King will proclaim to the righteous, “Come you that are blest by my Father come and possess the Kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. “ I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you received me in your home, naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me’ Then He will say to the evil shepherds, away from me you who are under God’s curse I was hungry but you would not feed me. Thirsty, but you would not give me a drink, I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me, I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me ‘(Mt.25:31) The message is loud and clear, it is time that a complete right about turn from these criminal violent,wasteful actions and attitudes are completely transformed.