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Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2007 / Cardinal Maida's Christmas Message

The Michigan Catholic
Published December 21, 2007

My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

The Lord has blessed us with the gift of another Christmas, a wonderful opportunity to reflect on His love in our lives and the many ways He showers graces upon us each day. Christmas helps us put our life in perspective, reminding us that all that we are and all that we have is truly a gift from God, which we, in turn, must develop and share with others for the good of all. Christmas also challenges us to remember that everything of this world is a preparation for the fullness of life with all the saints in God's presence forever.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas 2007, I am very conscious of the fact that many of our brothers and sisters – especially in our own metro area – are living through uncertain, even difficult and challenging times. More than ever, we need to reflect on the message of the angel to the shepherds that first Christmas – "Do not be afraid. I have come to bring you tidings of great joy to be shared by all the people…."

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has also picked up on the deep anxiety – in some cases even despair – that seems to overshadow the lives of countless people around the world. Responding to this pastoral concern, he recently issued a thoughtful and timely encyclical letter, "Spe Salvi," or in English, "Saved by Hope." It provides the theme for this year's Christmas message: Christian hope in troubled times.

That first Christmas, the Holy Family found themselves in very uncertain circumstances; nine months pregnant and needing to fulfill a requirement of Roman law, to be recorded in a census, Mary had to travel with Joseph a considerable distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Once arrived, they discovered there was, literally, "no room for them at the inn." In some way, their journey embodies the tragedy of millions of families who are homeless – migrants hoping for a new life, people who have lost their homes because of financial crisis, or people living on the street.

The Christmas story renews our faith in the presence of God among us, stretches our hope, and should motivate us to greater compassion and charity. As our Holy Father taught us in his first encyclical, "God is Love," everything begins with God's love, something we see enfleshed in a very visible way in the Christ Child. As St. John wrote, "God so loved the world that He gave His own Son." God's love toward us should warm our cold hearts and spark our imaginations that we might be more creative and eager in looking for ways to bring consolation, healing, and hope to others.

As our Holy Father points out in his recent encyclical on hope, one of the great dangers of our contemporary society is that we think we can solve everything on our own. If we fall into the trap of thinking that technology, human genius, and good old hard work can make a perfect world, obviously, we are going to end up being frustrated. On our own, we cannot create a perfect world. Our hope needs to be in God, not in ourselves. And so, we pray, thanking God for all that He has given us and asking for His help and guidance, His wisdom and inspiration, so as to respond to the challenges which often seem insurmountable.

Christian hope is much more than optimism. It is based and rooted in faith, in the conviction that we have come from God and are going back to God. In his encyclical, our Holy Father uses the image of Christ the Good Shepherd as the model and reason for our hope. Christ does not offer philosophical answers or economic strategies, but rather, as the Good Shepherd came to share our story with all of its burdens and challenges. He knows our pain, firsthand. He laid down His life for us.

Is it any wonder that Christ, who came to be Good Shepherd, chose shepherds as the first receptors of the good news of His birth? Shepherds were rejected by most people, generally thought to be outside the law, people who could find no other employment. The good news of salvation was announced first to them because Christ was to be a shepherd to the shepherds, to touch the minds and hearts of all in need.

Who is most in need of hope in our world today? First and foremost, the sick and the suffering come to mind, and all those dependent on the physical and spiritual assistance of doctors and nurses, therapists and counselors. Christmas can often be a very lonely time of the year for the infirm, particularly the homebound and those in nursing homes. Do our plans for Christmas include some kind of loving outreach to an otherwise forgotten relative or neighbor, co-worker, or friend? Our own hope and love will be renewed as we forget ourselves and reach out in compassionate concern for our brothers and sisters in need.

This year in Michigan, many people need hope – especially those looking for employment, and even worried about losing their homes. While many of us have the luxury of shopping, traveling, and sharing a nice meal, countless families and individuals of our metro area will be having a very bleak Christmas this year. Is it possible to seek them out and spend some time with those in less fortunate situations — be they sudden or sustained? At the very minimum, we could certainly pray for them and with them.

Our Holy Father points out that Christian hope is never simply a matter of being concerned with our own personal salvation or well-being. To hope in Christ means praying and working for the well-being of the whole Body of Christ, the Church. Our Christmas joy is incomplete unless we take into account all of our brothers and sisters – near and far, especially those most in need.

As the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to drag on, it is important for us to remember all who suffer from violence, as well as those who place their lives literally on the "firing line" for the sake of our freedom and the freedom of men, women, and children in those areas of the world. Certainly, military personnel, as well as their families back home, need hope and encouragement. Is prayer for peace one of our regular major intentions? How are we reaching out toward families of those affected by the war, including our own Chaldean Catholic brothers and sisters?

Christmas can bring out the best in us but it can also sometimes bring out the worst in us, such traits as selfishness or greediness. I pray this Christmas we will be all the more sensitive and generous, forgetting ourselves and focusing on being instruments of the Christ's light for our world overshadowed with darkness. May our lives and our words proclaim a witness of hope this Christmas and throughout 2008.

With all best wishes, I remain

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

†Adam Cardinal Maida
Archbishop of Detroit