Christian Reflection and Prayer

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21

Angel: 1). A spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God (Oxford English Dictionary).

What did Mary see when the angel Gabriel appeared to her? What kind of being came with foreknowledge of a supernatural conception and with words that would change her identity forever? “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Lk. 1:28). How would the shepherds have described the angel with the glory of the Lord shining about? How could they encapsulate “a great company of the heavenly host,” whose voices poured out a sudden tidal wave of sound, a booming chorus?: “Glory to God in the highest!” (Lk. 2:14). How would Joseph his own encounter with the angel? Or what would Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, say about their messengers? In the days leading up to the birth of Jesus, supernatural appearances and utterances were occurring like they never had before—an electric buzz of Heaven’s voices among us.

The real meaning of “angel” is simply, “messenger.” This reminds us that Christmas is about a message. It is a gospel, good news. The best news. And paving the way were powerful spiritual messengers whose very presence struck fear and awe in people (no pudgy, winged cherubs here). Their mission and their message transformed humankind—and we have never been the same.

This year, any one of us can probably think of a dozen cases in which we would like to hear a personal message from God. We have that message. It is a message individually suited to each of us, because it was sent to all of us. As the angel said to Joseph: “[Jesus] will save people from their sins.” The angels’ message from that cold night continues to ring through the atmosphere—centuries later, and it is as true as in its first utterance. In this mortal world that is at once be full of wonders, yet seized by sin and darkness: We have been saved.

Prayer for today: Lord, thank you for your message of hope and renewal, for your son. Let my heart receive this message new every day, and may my eyes be opened to your continued presence in this world.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:13-14

Peace is a noble aspiration at any time. In times of war or in times of harmony. When you find yourself at odds with someone, or when you are feeling pretty good about your relationships. When you feel in harmony with God, or when you feel a discord. It is always important to pursue peace.

Peace is so much more than the absence of conflict. Maybe you can lay your head on your pillow tonight and thank God that you experienced no conflict, but that is not the same thing as experiencing peace. If a husband and wife get tired of shouting at each other and both slip into an icy indifference, that is not peace.

In Hebrew, the word for “peace” is shalom, a well wishing that says it all: may you be healthy, whole and complete. May you know where you fit in the universe, and may you find tranquility there. Augustine said that peace is “the tranquility of order.” When you know where you fit into God’s world—that you are higher than the animals, but less than God—that is the sense of order that brings tranquility.

Therefore, we pray for peace at Christmas. We pray that both others and we discover the Christmas shalom—the confidence that when God’s favor, his undeserved grace, rests on us, we will know a peace that goes beyond understanding. The peace gifted to us because Christ came into the world and put things in order, beginning with his birth, and completed in his sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection.

Prayer for today: Dear God, let your favor rest on me, and let me stand in the peace that Christ has made possible.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:10-11

Great joy? Is it almost too much to hope for?

Where did all the Christmas joy go? How did things get so complicated? So rushed? So squeezed and cluttered? A non-stop buzz of Christmas lights and weary shoppers, boisterous television specials and pleading children. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can choose to step aside, step into a quieter moment, and read the angel’s words that came on the night that changed the world: “I bring you news of great joy!”

It was just another night of work in the field for shepherds. A chill in the air, calm and the soft bleating of their flocks. Another night of work, a night like those thousands of nights before, even thousands of years before—when the shepherd David was still a boy and stood watch in the same fields. Life hadn’t changed in a millennium. But this night, everything changed.

When the angel appeared, bathed in a glorious light, the shepherd men and boys, who were used to fending off wild beasts to protect their sheep, were filled with terror. Were they convinced by the simple words: “I bring you great news of great joy”? Probably not. Joy would have to come later. They would have to see proof.

That’s the way it works with joy. Real joy is never something that originates from within: it must come from without. Searching for joy within you is like searching for the ocean within a droplet of water. Perhaps this is why so many of us have a difficult time finding joy at Christmas. Bite into a Christmas cookie, and you might enjoy it. Open a shiny package, and you might delight in what you find inside. But joy itself—true and pure—is so much more than enjoyment.

Joy is the startling realization that God has claimed territory in this world. He has taken back what belongs to him. Every day, we can remind ourselves of this revelation: reignite this joy again and again. Joy is a thirst that doesn’t want to be quenched; a hunger that knows it will go on and on. It’s a good thing, to never get enough of God.

This “great joy,” God come into the world, is “great” because it is everywhere. A joy “that will be for all the people”—is here. Now. Let us delight in this tremendous news today.

Prayer for today: Dear God, turn my fear into great joy.