The Christmas Eve Mass, which was live on the MBC channel yesterday, was presided over by Cardinal Maurice Piat. The Bishop of Port Louis said in his sermon that because of the Covid-19 outbreak, we are having a very tough Christmas this year. «Couma nou kapav dir Joyeux Noel dans sa bann circonstance là? » he said, referring to the prevalent mood of anxiety and uncertainty with an emphasis on the upheaval we are all experiencing. Below is the message of Cardinal Maurice Piat to us for this Christmas.
How can we have a Merry Christmas when Covid-19 is still destroying everywhere, when families are grieving the deaths of their children, parents, and grandparents, and when front liners are slain? This causes us great grief, especially when it is one of our dear ones or acquaintances. Our entire daily lives are being disrupted in this climate of fear and apprehension: school is done at home, and children find it difficult to adapt to classes via the Internet; our young people feel isolated, and it is difficult for them to settle for relationships through screens at an age when friendships are formed; parents run out between teleworking and daily tasks; family gatherings are kept to a minimum, and grandparents suffer from not being able to hug their grandchildren. Finding time and locations to unwind might be tough. We’re all worn out.
Christmas may still bring us pleasure and hope in the middle of all this sadness! Let us remember that Christmas is a celebration of the God who is with us in all situations, a God who draws near to us, who comes to meet us where we are, with our difficulties, worries, and concerns. He comes with tenderness, compassion, and enormous generosity; he also comes with simplicity; he becomes one of us, offers us his friendship, and wipes away our tears and restores our faith.
Faith, i.e., trusting in this God who comes to us, is a rare gift among all, a great treasure that we get freely in times of struggle. We must trust in order to reclaim hope. Let us depend on him as if he were a solid rock, clinging to him to keep us safe during the storm. “My light and salvation is the Lord, whom I would dread; the Lord is the fortress of my life, whom I shall tremble before,” the psalmist writes.
The first individuals who greeted Jesus set out on their own, according to the reports of his birth. They didn’t just stand there and wait; they moved to get before him. Consider Mary and Joseph, who left their comfortable village and journeyed for many days to Bethlehem, where baby Jesus would be born in a humble barn. The shepherds followed the angels’ proclamation and arrived late at night to see the Savior who had been announced to them. The Magi also left their homeland, following the star on a lengthy trip to prostrate themselves before the baby boy. Finally, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt a second time when King Herod threatened to murder the infant.
It’s worth noting that each time, it’s a group of two, three, or more persons walking together. Walking together also entails sharing, talking, and supporting one another to continue on the path until we meet this Savior who has been announced to us.
This late-night trip to meet the approaching Jesus is a metaphor for our current situation: we are all lost in the midst of Covid’s chaos, and we are all yearning for a light, a hope. We hear that Jesus can give us hope today, but we don’t always know where to go for him or how to find it.
We will never discover it if we stay that way. The invitation to set forth together is presented to us at Christmas, just as it was to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi. We may chat with one another, listen to each other, and debate things together. We eventually listen to this God who accompanies us in our challenging condition by sharing our painful or illuminating experiences and by supporting one other. Gradually, a light emerges and Jesus re-establishes our hope.
When the angel spoke to the small shepherds, they were terrified. They started off with “let’s journey to Bethlehem… ” after being won over by trust. They must have felt a really unusual pleasure emanating from the Holy Family in the midst of this deprivation when they saw Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the manger, and this is what pushes them to proclaim it around. They were among the first to observe Jesus’ joy and hope for us at Christmas.
The Magi, on the other hand, come from a prosperous and well-educated family. However, they must have thought that all of this wealth and knowledge was insufficient to satisfy their need for happiness. They set off in this manner, directed by the star. Even though they are scholars, they remain modest and do not hesitate to enquire or seek guidance; they do not profess to know everything. And as they arrive at the manger, they are awestruck by the glow, the serene tranquillity that comes from these impoverished people who are there, humbly at the service of this baby Jesus who has just been born in all his frailty. They then lay all of their wealth in front of the manger, as if to indicate that they have discovered a true treasure in this God who humbles himself and becomes man in order to be by our side with constant loyalty.
Paths of hope are opened by our hardships today, just as they were by the discomfort of the manger 2000 years ago. On these routes, the Lord invites us to follow Him. Let us join our Mauritian brothers and sisters in walking together. Let us show our support. Let us unite to fight the epidemic on our lovely island of Mauritius. Let’s be imaginative, Anou Marye Pike, to develop solutions to help distressed families. Let us put our confidence in the Lord and patiently listen to Him, and He will gradually transmit to us a delight that we do not expect.
Let’s have a safe journey together and a Merry Christmas against all odds.
