THE road to happiness begins at Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem with the joyful proclamation of the angels “Glory to God in the highest and peace to those who love God”, and finds its climax at Easter when we celebrate the victory of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ whose love and life destroy and swallow death.
Although Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar, many people in all parts of the world, even non-Christians, live with greater joy the feast of Christmas.
Christmas gives us hope that “God – who is Love – so much loves the world that he gave his only son” (John3:16) Jesus Christ and that through him we will have the victory over sin and death. Like in World War II, the landing of the allied troops marked the beginning of the end of the war, Jesus’ birth gives us the assured hope of the end of the world’s misery.
Jesus assures us, “In the world you have tribulations but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Whatever these troubles are, and no one is without them, we are encouraged “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” John 16:33).
St Paul writes about his anxiety and trouble, “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan…Three times I sought the Lord about this; but he said to me, “My grace is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7,9). When talking about his trouble being a messenger of Satan, he warns us that these troubles may lead to unbelief, giving up hope and trust in God. Often, I meet people who use these troubles against God saying, why doesn’t God do anything?
When St Paul writes that these tribulations are given or allowed by God, he immediately adds, so we may know his gift of grace, who is “Emmanuel” (God with us) born in Bethlehem. Jesus is God’s gift, for “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), but “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
When we receive this gift of love, we will discover that “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). So much so that we may ask, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or the sword? No, through him who loves us we shall be conquerors in all these things”.
How then should we pray in these times of trouble?
Usually, we cry to the Lord asking him to deliver us from these troubles. Scripture, however, instructs us, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus”. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Remember, the trouble is God’s gift which he uses for our good. The first thing, therefore, to learn is, thank God and accept the gift with love. Don’t ask him to take it away, as we usually do, but gratefully accept it.
Next, seek his instructions! How to use this gift and what does he want to accomplish in or through me? Remember, God created you to be happy! Suffering and pain are thus not what he wants. So, don’t conclude “God wants this”!
A friend with a heart problem went for alternative treatment. Taking away all his medication, the practitioner demanded a change in lifestyle and diet. His health improved significantly. He told me, I treated going to the doctor like my confession. After confessing my sins, I did not change my lifestyle.
Once we have done the above, only then, may we pray as Jesus did at the end of his prayer at Gethsemane: “Father, if you will, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but yours, will be done.” (Luke 22:42)
A Palestinian priest friend recently defended his doctoral thesis, titled “Human suffering in the Holy Land”. I am sure you concur that the suffering of people in the Holy Land has been extreme. Thus, his examiner asked him: When you say suffering is bad and brings a lot of pain, do you mean that we just have to undergo it? Yes, my friend said, but we have to accept it with love. Only then becomes suffering meaningful, a positive element in one’s life.
In the Basilica of Santa Maria Major in Rome is a wooden relic of the manger of Bethlehem. It shows us that Jesus at his birth accepted the wood of the cross. “Jesus, although he was in the form of God and born in the form of man, humbled himself by being obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” (Ephesians 2).
Every Christmas, therefore, invites us to take up the cross and follow Jesus.
Title “Who wants this gift!” as a cynical exclamation. Because tribulations are negative, I don’t want them. Thus this exclamation wants to express “if this is all you can give me, just keep it.”
“tribulations” (troubles) mentioned here can be great or small, exterior or interior, material, social, physical, mental or spiritual. They may be temptations, conflicts, struggles, sicknesses, epidemics, wars, disasters, floods, earthquakes etc.
