Mukai - Vukani No.83 by JesCom Zimbabwe

Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

All photos in this edition where taken Pre-Covid-19

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Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December | Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 20202021 |

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours” (Lk 2:14). These are the words of the song that the angel and the great throng of the hosts of heaven broke into after the birth of Jesus. In this hymn the angels proclaimed an unlimited peace to those who have resolved and are ready to follow God’s ways; those who allow themselves to be led by God. The Church

has adopted these words and she sings them with gusto at the beginning of every Mass, save during Lent and Advent seasons. So, peace is the reason for our Joy at Christmas. The Lord whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is the bringer of peace. Zechariah, in his prophecy about Jesus, said that Jesus will guide our feet into the path of peace (cf. Lk Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

1:79). Centuries before that Isaiah had prophesied about Jesus as the prince of peace to come (cf. Is 9:6). According to St. Paul, Jesus’ gospel is “the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15); and, in his letter to the Romans he spoke of God as “the God of peace” (Rom 15:33). So, when – after the birth of Jesus – the angel told the shepherds that “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be

shared by the whole people” (Lk 2:10), the good news was that at last there was going be peace, the peace that was long awaited; and indeed, Jesus brought peace (cf. Jn 14:27). At this point some may object: ‘Where is the peace? How can I have peace in my heart when I lost not only my loved ones but even my job and my livelihood because of the Covid-19 Pandemic? How can I have peace when my children have gotten into drugs? Can I honestly have peace when there is tension in my marriage or family?’ In the Old Testament peace generally meant being uninjured and safe, whole and sound. It meant welfare. As such, you cannot be peaceful if you are anxious about tomorrow because you lost your job or means of earning a living. Neither can you have peace within you as you watch the future of your child crumbling before you because of drugs. When quarrelling, suspicion, conflicts, mistrust and/or domestic violence are what characterise your family you will not know peace. Some of us were robbed this year, some suffered different forms of abuse and because of these experiences they now live in fear and cannot trust people any more. Our economy is ailing, our politics can get dirty and ugly, hence we may ask ourselves: will we ever know peace? Yes, we will have peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (Jn 14:27). This is a profound statement from our Lord. Jesus said that he gives peace not as the world gives it to us. This means that the peace that Jesus offers is different from the peace that the world gives. Jesus’ peace is not just welfare. It is not an exemption from the calamities of life, from sorrow and affliction, because Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation” (Jn 16:33). It is not peace with the world, an exemption from its hatred and persecution, for Jesus says ‘The world will hate you’ (Mt 10:22; Mk 13:13; cf. Jn 15:18). The world tells us that peace can be felt only when there isn’t any conflict; peace can’t be found during difficulties; peace comes through living however

you want to live; peace comes from only focusing on your needs; peace comes from seeking others’ approval; we should try to provide our own peace. This is not true because life will never be 100 percent perfect and easy. Jesus provides us with an inner peace that surpasses the peace that the world offers. So it is not good friends, a loving family, it is not even safety and security that will give us peace. Only Jesus does! Peace can come even in the midst of trials; peace can be found in any circumstance. Above all, and in connection with what Jesus came for, sincere repentance brings peace. The human person is a relational being. His first and fundamental relationship is, or rather, must be with God. If man’s relationship with God is disturbed then nothing else can be truly in order. This means that for man to have peace he has to understand himself in the overarching plan of God (cf. Eph 3:1-12). The birth of Jesus is the realisation of that plan. This explains why in the New Testament, peace is employed to mean the reconciliation of all things to God through the work of Christ (cf. Col 1:19–20). Jesus himself showed us that relationship with God is crucial for anybody to have peace. This he showed in the episode when four men brought in a man who was paralysed, through the roof, so that Jesus would heal him. The first thing that Jesus said was, “Child, your sins are forgiven”. Jesus shows us that forgiveness of sins is the internal side of the restoration of creation’s integrity. So, the peace that Christ gives is complete wellbeing – physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; it flows from all of one’s relationships being put right – with God, with(in) oneself, and with others. Christmas is a time to contemplate the love of God; a love that knows no limit in search for its object. We are the object of God’s love. God showed us that he stops at nothing to redeem and save us. That is why, “though he was in the form of God Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:6-7). We cannot say that Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

God loves us if he doesn’t want us to have peace. Therefore, we don’t only celebrate God’s immeasurable love for us at Christmas, but we also celebrate the coming of him who brings eternal peace. In Psalm 35:27, God takes delight in the peace (the wholeness, the total well– being) of His servant. Hence, at the birth of Jesus, the choir of heaven proclaimed in that timeless hymn, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours”. The experiences we might have gone through this year, or in life, might have made us doubt God’s love for us and that he wants us to have peace. We need to pray that Christ be born in our hearts, because if we have him in us, we will have peace under whatever circumstances. There are some who, on looking back, see success. They got a new job, their businesses prospered, relations in their families improved because the Covid-19 pandemic gave them a rare opportunity of spending quality time together as a family. It is important for such individuals to realise that if their peace is solely rooted in these things it is only conventional, only Christ gives peace sincerely. These things are temporary so if our peace is entirely based on such things it is temporary, and perhaps, superficial, only Christ gives peace substantially and eternally. It is interesting to note that when Jesus was born, peace on earth was proclaimed by the rejoicing angels (cf. Lk 2:14), and when he was about to leave his beloved disciples, peace was the precious legacy he left (cf. Jn 14:27), and it was his first blessing after he rose (cf. Jn 20:19,21,26). Each time the Church sings the timeless hymn, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours, she does not simply regurgitate the ancient words of the choir of angels but she reminds herself of the peace brought by Jesus and at the same time she prays for peace for her members and for all people of goodwill. We pray that we open our hearts for the infant Lord, the Prince of Peace, so that he enters our lives and give us peace this Christmas. Merry Christmas!

Introduction On October 8, 2013 Pope Francis announced that in 2014 there would be an extraordinary general assembly on the family in the context of evangelization. This was later followed by the 14th ordinary general assembly of Bishops on the same topic of the family. This resulted in the promulgation and publication of Amoris Laetittia in 2016, a document which is a post-synodal exhortation on the family. Discussions and presentations during that synod, from preparatory to final documents, revealed the challenges that Christian families are going through. Further reflections by experts from various fields after the publication of Amoris Laetitia laid bare more revelations concerning challenges on the same. The challenges include but are not limited to cohabitation that shows lack of commitment towards marriage; issues of divorce, separation and remarriage, which threaten the unitive factor of Christian marriage; polygamy, and homosexuality, which tampers with and compromises the procreative aspect of marriage. Other issues that were raised included the ethical upbringing of children in Christian families. In most African countries, Christmas time is family time. The break that the working class affords from work becomes an opportunity to visit families in the village for reunion and perhaps an opportunity that families use to discuss family matters. The coming of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 made such meeting of families impossible as a result of restrictions that were put in place. Over the past

few months however, some of these restrictions have been eased and lifted, giving families the hope of gathering for Christmas holidays and festivities. Thus, even in the Christian setting, Christmas is also family time. Since it is a time of celebration of the birth of our Lord, families, are given an opportunity to contemplate on and learn from the Holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They learn from it all sorts of family-related lessons and more especially the art of living together as families. The Holy family, therefore, acts as a model from which families tap insights into their own families. Mary as a model of contemplating on the Truth First of all, in the passage on the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), the angel Gabriel brings to Mary the Good News that should have been actually bad news to her, culturally. He tells Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah and that her pregnancy would be of the Holy Spirit. In the Jewish context, for a young girl like her to be found pregnant out of the wedlock, she was to be put to death by stoning for breaching traditional laws and customs. By asking “how can this be since I have no relations with a man” (Luke 1:34), most probably, Mary was lingering on the cultural implication of her pregnancy and the punishment that would dawn on her. After the encounter with the angel, she eventually submits Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

to the will of God, letting all be done according to His will (Lk. 1:38). Mary’s reaction is one of contemplating on the truth and finally acting on it despite evident consequences on the same. In Africa, one of the issues that keeps rocking marriages is polygamy. While the Church’s teaching is clear that she recognises the union of one man and woman as marriage, African Catholic theologians are still divided on the matter with some supporting polygamy over monogamy. The issue of homosexuality too is another threat that is facing marriage today. The Christian faith, and especially its teaching on marriage, faces the danger of being stoned as was the case of Mary for adhering to Christian values of marriage. In the face of such challenges, African couples are called upon to contemplate on the Truth that God teaches us by intending that marriage should be between one man and one woman and not otherwise. In their own wrestling with God concerning the issues that beset marriage, couples should jealously guard the unitive and procreative aspects of marriage. Joseph and his insights on fatherhood Joseph, upon realizing the condition of Mary, gets surprised with it but still chooses to treat her with dignity and respect until the angel comes to clarify things for him (Mathew 1:19-20). The

reaction of Joseph reveals the task of fatherhood in Christian marriage. The father should be the protector of the family in the face of danger. Above all, he should carry out his responsibility while maintaining respect for all. Joseph had the right and power to treat Mary shamefully according to the Jewish law. Instead, he preferred not to abuse his power and use it responsibly and respectfully. Another insight on fatherhood is highlighted in the episode of the flight to Egypt in the face of the danger posed by king Herod who wanted to kill child Jesus (Mat. 2:13-15). Again, Joseph responds to the message of an angel in his dream and he cooperates with the initiative to protect the child Jesus from the massacre. The same can be said about the episode of the child Jesus being found in the temple by both parents after getting lost (Lk. 2: 41-52). In recent years, the role of fatherhood has been in a crisis as some fathers have clearly neglected their roles or duties and become so irresponsible. Such irresponsibility is in turn affecting families at large. Parents should be aware that responsible parenthood goes a long

way to realising the small cell of the society that a family is. In the apostolic letter Patris Corde, Pope Francis devotes the whole letter to highlighting the qualities of fatherhood which today’s generation can learn from St. Joseph. Based on the fact that he took care of Mary and Jesus, Joseph is described as a beloved father, and obedient, tender and loving, a courageous and accepting father. In his exercise of fatherhood, therefore, Joseph ensures the unity of the family. A family that prays together stays together The incidence of the finding of the child Jesus in the temple depicts the holy family fulfilling their annual obligation to visit the temple of Jerusalem. This spells out the significance of prayer in the Holy family of Nazareth. The old adage that ‘a family that prays together stays together’ is true. In the face of so many dangers that can separate them, Christian families should never abandon the centrality of prayer. Prayer is a way of acknowledging that there is someone higher and greater than us who is capable of helping us in our life. A dead prayer life in a family implies a sort of atheism because a family

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that does not pray is in a way professing their lack of need for God and can manage life on their own. This can be very disastrous for the Christian. Conclusion In the farewell discourse in the Gospel of John (Jn. 17), Jesus prays that his apostles and disciples should remain united. Having stayed with them and noticing the dangers that threatened unity among them as well as dangers emanating from their ministry, he does not want their human weaknesses to overcome them and so he prays for them. The apostolic college is like a family as well which needs unity. But more directly, the holy family of Nazareth is a model of unity for families. By putting it as a model for us, the wish of Jesus is that families should remain united in Him. Despite the difficulties they faced such as the pregnancy of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit prior to their marriage, suffering ridicule from the society, fleeing from Herod to Egypt and similar challenges, the Holy Family never saw divorce and separation as an option. Even today, Jesus prays for all families: “may they all be one” (Jn. 17:21).

When we think and talk about Christmas we basically think about a special, unique, and mystical child. Christmas brings the flavour of newness which is coupled with the essence of productivity, continuity, and hope. When a new baby is born the family welcomes it with heightened joy and happiness because a child is a sign of hope, hope for the growth of the family and clan. The new baby also renews and enlarges relationships within the family. The birth of a new child means that everyone assumes an added degree of relationship. Depending on the level of affinity, all those connected in the web of relationship become a mother, a father, a grandmother and grandfather, a cousin, a nephew or a niece. In short, the new baby in its innocence, fragility and dependence activates roles and responsibilities for the family and community to ensure the holistic growth and development of the baby. In our African culture a new-born baby is seen as a gift to the family from God and the ancestors. At birth family and local community members gather to celebrate this amazing gift. The welcoming of a new baby is always accompanied by the offering of gifts and partying. The child is received as a child for the whole community and not limited to a particular nuclear family. Hence, the local folk saying: it takes the whole village to raise a child. It is expected that it is the responsibility of the whole community to nurture, groom and socialise the child. It is noticeable that culture is changing. When one observes present realities in our societies today one’s heart can bleed when we see different children exposed

to different risks such as child bagging, child labour, child sexual exploitation, child trafficking, ritual killings and so on. It is very disheartening that the children whom the community and the family celebrated at birth have suddenly become no body’s business. The communal sense of responsibility for the raising up children is vanishing. If we look around in our societies today, we see many children who are ‘heads’ of households without any adults concerned to take care of them. Some of these children grow up to engage in very risky activities and businesses such as child prostitution where adult men and women take these children and sexually exploit them and give them a few dollars which do not improve anything in their lives. It is also heart-breaking to observe children whom the society formerly showered with gifts at birth are now left to loiter around our cities begging for food. Some end up stealing or grabbing people’s food because nobody cares. A notable sight on Zimbabwean inner city roads is the growing number of street children. At road intersections children often beg for money or food. Some cunning people take advantage of these children and exploit them leaving them with sexual transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies. In farming and mining areas around the country it is common to see children subjected to child labour. Children are often forced to work in open shaft mines, alluvial panning for precious stones in water sources or engaged in weeding, spraying, picking and grading of tobacco for little remuneration. A number of children who have dropped out of school Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

because their parents or caregivers can no longer afford to pay their fees, for example of 20 US Dollars or its equivalent. There is another class of children whose parents hide them in the loneliness of homes because they are embarrassed of their disabilities. These children are seen as a curse to the families, which keep them in total isolation in order to avoid others from knowing about the disabled child. Often such children grow up without basic primary education. In recent times our society has witnessed a surge in drug and substance abuse. Some adults use children as drug peddlers who in turn become drug dealers as they grow older. The cases of children who are suffering the effects of addiction is growing with unforeseen consequences for the future of not only the children concerned but also the stability of the country. This situation is worrying. My question is: where have we buried the spirit of ubuntu and African communalism with respect to the care for children? Why have we lost our norms and values enshrined in the saying that ‘It takes a village to raise a child”? How much have we budgeted for Christmas shopping? And have we thought of putting aside some money for that child who does not have any parents or caregiver to shower him or her with gifts at Christmas? How much are we ready to spare for children who live alone in child-headed households who do not

have anyone to turn to? If we plan to help the less fortunate children by involving our well catered for children, we will be training them not only to help others but to also respect the dignity of others while recognizing their needs and rights. Like the three kings who knelt and offered some precious gifts before the innocent, helpless and fragile baby Jesus, let us also positively react to the fragility and vulnerability of children who are marginalized in our society and offer them the support they need as citizens who deserve to live a dignified life. Like the three kings who were inspired to see the mystical present of baby Jesus let us recognize the potential and capacities of children who are loitering in our streets. Let us work for the restoration of their dignity and make a difference in their lives. Although government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care as well as the Education and Social Welfare ministries has the overall responsibility in fostering a coordinated response to children’s needs, advocacy groups and individuals can make a difference by cultivating a culture of care. Children need love, security and healthy environments to be able to dream dreams and realise their visions. What is needed are not a few dollars thrown into their begging bowls or thrown through car windows. There is need to cultivate a culture of encounter when we come across children. We can engage them in constructive conversation. What is needed is the ‘mother’, ‘father’, ‘brother’ ‘sister’, not necessarily their biological relatives but anyone in our society who can create opportunities for them to live a better life and to develop themselves through provision of educational and welfare opportunities. What is needed is humility like the three kings who knelt before the baby Jesus and adored him and gave him very precious gifts. Similarly, we are called to emulate these strangers from the East by enhancing the environment in which children grow. Remember that the gifts which the three kings shared were not short-

term gifts; they represented what Jesus needed for the rest of his life. In a similar way, let us give gifts which change lives of children who are less privileged in our society today. Let us not think of short-term relief measures but seek to advocate for and exemplify the importance of fostering the values of respect, care and concern for the future. When we feel the urge to offer ‘bread crumbs’, I propose we ask ourselves the following questions: Do I want to see this child in this state again tomorrow? How far would the few dollars I give to this child take him or her? What exactly do children need in order to live a better life? What difference will my gift make? Let us keep ourselves asking these questions, and hopefully can be filled with the desire to advocate for change in the lives of those children. Getting to be seized with these questions will help us transform our society. Christmas is a revolutionary feast. God in His glory does a new thing. He empties Himself of God-self to come into the world Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

as a vulnerable child to awaken hope, love and peace. The Father sends into the world a child needing welcome, care and love. We can perpetuate the mystery of that first Christmas by selflessly welcoming and showing care by accompanying children. There is a dual giving in the feast of Christmas. On the one hand we see kings giving gifts and welcoming the Prince of Peace and the Redeemer, and on the other hand we see Jesus giving himself to us as the perpetual precious gift of God to humanity. If we do not assist children in our society who need help, we eventually receive the gifts of robbery, theft, and so on. If, however, we give and contribute towards the transformation of children’s lives we will receive respect and support from selfless citizens. As we enjoy the Christmas festivities, let us spare a thought for children who are in need of the presence of a caregiver or support through education.

At the heart of liberation theology, which has its roots in Latin America, there is one fundamental question: Why are the poor people poor or why material poverty? Liberation theology was born in a context of abject suffering and poverty in which the masses were oppressed by dictatorship and economical oppression, which favored the rich. This reflection is not about liberation theology per se, but on why Jesus was born in such poverty, lacking shelter, cloths and in a manger. Those who first came to adore him were simple poor shepherds. One can try to visualize or contextualize the birth of Jesus in a place like Mbare, or Epworth in Harare, or Mzilikazi in Bulawayo, or Soweto in South Africa or Kibeira Nairobi which are shanty

crowded poor places not affluent Borrowdale or Hillside in Harare. If we place ourselves in such a context, we can assume that maybe touts (mahwindi) or majega (those who help to carry loads at musika or in town) would represent the shepherds of our time. The reflection centers on hope and Jesus Christ’s solidarity with humanity and especially with the poor based on Luke 2:1-20. Harrington explains that, “However we construe the manger and the lodge and the wrapping bands put on the baby and the visit of the shepherds, there is no doubt concerning Luke’s portrayal of the economic or social level of Jesus’ first companions.” We may also conclude that Mary and Joseph are of a lower class and in our contemporary world Joseph Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

and Mary can represent the homeless of our time and those who lack adequate shelter. Joseph and Mary lacked shelter because they were caught by the demand of the census that required them to go to their native home just when the child Jesus was due. We may want to ask ourselves why we have so many street fathers and mothers or families. Is it by design of God, sanctions as some may say or corruption and mismanagement of natural resources that are meant to build houses for the homeless? Luke shows us the richness of God who desires to associate with the lowly as a lesson for humanity. “She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (2:7).

The vulnerability into which Christ was born should be a lesson of solidarity that we are called to exercise. The inn may also represent our hearts, not just the physical spaces that we live in. Richard Rohr asserts that, “Theologically, for Luke, that the inn had no room for God might be a symbol of how God has not been received by the world. It certainly identifies Jesus and his family with the poor class.” If we do an examination of conscience, we might recognize that greediness, corruption and individualism has taken root and displaced Christ in our hearts. The corruption in Zimbabwe cripples the poor who want to survive, and this corruption is not just in government level but also in the private sector and at every structure of the society. Many people overcharge the goods that they sell, rents that they charge and those who employ house helpers do not pay just wages. Let us open our hearts so that Christ can have a dwelling place in us especially in the service of the poor. Covid 19 has taught us that without human solidarity between rich and poor people we can all perish. The vulnerability of humanity in this Covid times has left the world in desolation, but there is a lesson for all humanity: we are in a manger of human vulnerability. “The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shown round about them. They were terrified. But the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen’”(2:8-10). The image we have of shepherds resembles that of poor herd boys in rural areas. During the time of Jesus and for the Jews, shepherds were associated with a poor negative image. Richard Rohr says, “Shepherds are people outside the system or law (“sinners” in their objective way of thinking). They are associated with bandits, nonconformists, boorish and dirty.” This describes the touts,

thieves, prostitutes, majega among the excluded of our contemporary world, the people of low regard who are not part of the system. The shepherds are also an example of spiritual poverty - the yearning for God in our lives. It will be naïve to just focus on material poverty. If we choose to be spiritually poor and become open to Christ in our hearts, we can be instruments of evangelization to one another. The birth of Christ and the message that the shepherds received from the angel is a combination of hope that can transform the world. If we grow in awareness of what happens to humanity through the birth of Christ, as these social outcasts who ran to Bethlehem did to find the child Jesus, we can also be transformed to recognize the wretchedness of our human condition in the light of the Christmas message. One has to ask oneself how one has, or is, contributing to the exclusion of the suffering especially through corruption and injustice. “As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (2:19). Luke uses this phrase a few times to describe Mary’s fiat, which is her response to God. As humanity, we are invited to contemplate the depth of the mystery of Christ’s birth. Rohr describes it thus, “it has a tone of depth and excitement about it and that’s always the experience of the Holy: we are both fascinated with it and afraid of it.” Mary is caught up in the experience of the Holy unlike us we are easily distracted by the excitement of Christmas and the commercialization that comes with it forgetting the Holy. Mary was inclined to seek understanding in her heart of the experiences of the birth of her son, which may include fear on one side and awe on the other. These two polarized feelings are part of human nature and it is an invitation to continue to contemplate the depth of the transcendence of God,

which we cannot exhaust. During this second Covid-related Christmas may we transcend the fears we have and be encouraged to trust God and enter into solidarity with others as we contemplate the vulnerability of baby Jesus. Conclusion The conditions around the birth of Christ are a reminder of what Elizabeth Johnson terms poverty as an instrument of death. The birth of Christ in Luke is portrayed a that of a vulnerable baby who is born in a manger, in cold weather among other dangers. It is the same for humanity today especially for the poor people who lack food and drinkable water, who lack housing, education, health care, or who suffer exploitive wages or who lack employment opportunities. Such a situation adds up to short lives of misery that undermine or trivialize human dignity. This Christmas may we be inspired by the Church’s principle of the Preferential Option for the Poor that is at the heart of Pope Francis’ petrine ministry and the Church in general. The material poverty of others should be a challenge for us to be sensitive to the call to charity. God’s mercy towards the vulnerable in society should awaken us to the judgement that we will have to face if we ignore needy people. It does not mean God favours the poor and that the poor are innocent people, but God wants the best for everyone. God loves the vulnerable just like a mother who pays attention to a disabled child. May this vulnerable baby Jesus help us to be aware of institutionalized violence that disrespects human worth. May we open the inn of our hearts to love, hope and faith in Christ especially in these uncertain times of Covid 19. May we contemplate deeply within our hearts, like Mary, the love of God who became human and shun corruption, which distracts us from absorbing this mystery.

Bibliography Daniel J. Harrington SJ. Sacra Pagina. The Gospel of Luke. MIinnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991. Elizabeth A. Johnson. Quest for the Living God. Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007. Richard Rohr. The Good News According to Luke. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Compant, 1997

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“She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet. The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God with us.” Mathew 1:21-23. A glorious light shines in our world. It is Christmas! What we have prepared for and longed for has finally arrived. Christmas is the commemoration of God’s coming into the world. He came for all of us: believers and non-believers. He is among us in every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in our lives. God’s coming into our hearts, into our families and into the world brings us hope, which triumphs in dispelling sadness from our lives. The manger no longer sits empty. The baby Jesus lies on the straw and in our hearts, replacing our longings with hope. How often do we find ourselves getting caught up in the gifts, events, schedules,

and worrying about how to get through the season in a way that distracts us from the true meaning of Christmas and the Lord’s birth on earth? This is a season intended to cause us to slow down, to reflect upon God’s work in our lives, and contemplate on the depth of our relationship with Him. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his homily in December 2005 said “Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not expensive presents that demand time and money. We can transmit this joy simply with a smile, a kind gesture, some small help, with forgiveness. Let us give this joy and the joy given will be returned to us. Let us seek in particular to communicate the deepest joy, that of knowing God in Christ. Let us pray that this presence of God’s liberating joy will shine out in our lives.” Let us not forget that Christmas is truly a time for giving. Not just for our friends and family but for those who are less fortunate. That is the miracle of Christmas. Today’s Christmas joy breaks upon us in a similar way. Each of our families Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

have special traditions unique and passed down in all their oddity and meaning, but the love that surrounds us is the real gift of Christmas. The presence and promise of God in a hurting world are the same and are true for all of us. Regardless of what form those traditions may take this year, God’s love, born in Bethlehem, born again in our hearts today and ultimately at the end of time, is our bedrock and foundation. Sorrow and hope are the feelings that might characterize the celebration of Christmas during this Covid-19 pandemic. The celebration of Christmas should not be deadened by the pandemic! Let us spread more hope, peace, joy and love this Season. Although we are being discouraged from visiting one another for our mutual protection and safety, we should still celebrate with members of the family staying in the same household. This is where we are reminded of the birth of our Savior. The Christmas story is one of simplicity.

Our Lord and Savior was born in a manger with only his mother and father. His guests were shepherds, a few animals and the three Magi. It is a heart-warming reminder of the true reason of the season. This year has been difficult for all of us but we cling to Hope. Amidst the confusion and fear that the pandemic has brought, God is with us, has always been and will always be with us. Jesus is the light of the world. COVID-19 has thrown a dark blanket over our world. The ruthless devastation of this virus has shaken us. It has forced us to awake from our stupor. This pandemic continues to cause sorrow, isolation and economic depression to families struggling with unemployment, hunger and hopelessness. Under this cloud of darkness, we look to the new born baby with faith, hope and charity to light up the road ahead of us. We can only see this light if we keep our spiritual eyes wide open and, amidst the horrors, we need to learn to see the signs of God’s love being sown around the world every day. As we celebrate the arrival of our

Lord in Bethlehem, we are invited to ponder the presence of Christ in the poor and marginalised people in our world today. The baby Jesus was also tiny and insignificant, but the power of his love still reverberates in our lives today. Each picture, each moment, is packed with a meaning unique to those involved. The homeless man in the street knows nothing of the child in the manger. The watchman in the tower can only wonder what the Magi are looking for in the stable. The mother at the window and Mary in the stable each of these pictures are so alive and very different. Not only this, but you as the viewer bring up your own meaning to each of these images and reflections. The world of Catholic health care witnesses this incarnational truth every day. In the rooms of residents, cafeterias, common rooms, patient rooms, and waiting rooms, board rooms across that ministry no two people experience the Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

same thing, each brings their role, their heart and their gifts to the exchange. Multiple stories are born from a shared moment. Nevertheless, in each moment, Christ is born again and again in each of us, in those we serve and in the promise of God passed on through the ages. No matter where we are or how we celebrate, let our joy be complete in the fact that our God became flesh and makes a dwelling among us, today and always. “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” JOHN 1:14 May the light of Jesus shine within us and illumine the lives of those around us. May we experience the goodness of God’s grace reborn in every kind word and every helping hand, not just today, but every day. May the light, the hope, the joy of Christmas remains with us always.

6.‘He [Jesus] Must Increase, But We [Christians] Must Decrease’ (John 3:30), By Tendai Mbanje (African Union Commission, Banjul, the Gambia) The Christmas season begins with Advent, the four weeks designated preceding Christmas: a time to prepare the way of the Lord for His coming as our King and Savior. The Church teaches that ‘when she celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming. The faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming’. Further, by celebrating John the Baptists birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 524). Considering the teaching of the Church, she, in 2021 finds herself shepherding in a context of a deadly virus threatening human existence because it has no known cure as yet. Second, the impact of

the deadly virus has exacerbated poverty, inequality and discrimination in many societies. Therefore, this means that the Church under these difficult challenges, may not ordinarily teach about ‘Advent’, - the theme of ‘preparation’, and ‘expectancy’ - as if life is normal without taking into consideration practical challenges affecting the people of God. The Church may also not ordinarily reaffirm her commitment and uniting herself to the desire of John the Baptist that ‘He [Jesus] must increase, but we [Christians] must decrease’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 524), without a strong sense of the practicalities affecting the physical well-being of her people. In this reflection, bearing in mind the above challenges, I would like to reflect on how the issues may distract or prepare the hearts of the faithful and people of good will for Christmas. It is difficult to understand how the challenge of the COVID-19 may prepare the hearts of the faithful and people of good will to receive the Lord at Christmas. It is as clear as daylight that many people are preoccupied with the

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effort of protecting themselves from the deadly virus as stipulated by their National Health Councils (NHC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Some are preoccupied with the effort to survive, since the virus has disrupted economies and social lives globally. Given these preoccupations, it is critical to ask: How does the Church console the people in a meaningful way under these challenging circumstances? To some measure the current challenges have distracted the hearts of the faithful and people of good will in their endeavour to receive the Lord at Christmas. For many, Christmas is now never the same. Many families are unable to come together or even pray together, people are not able to share food and drink as in the past. Life remains uncertain for many. This is the time for the Church and the people of God to enter into deep introspection and reflection on the nature of the faith of the Church and what sustains this faith. This is the time that the faithful are experiencing practical challenges about the journey of faith and learning how to overcome these with hope and maturity. For faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The impact of the recurring COVID-19

pandemic has exacerbated poverty, inequality and discrimination in many societies. The pandemic has disrupted many economies globally. The Global Report on Food Crises 2021 index has shown a huge rise in the demand of food security globally. Many countries have recorded high levels of unemployment. The poor have become poorer, with the World Food Program and World Hunger Index of 2021 showing high numbers of those at risk of hunger. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, on the other hand has noted with concern the deterioration of human rights standards in African Union Member States. The most recent travel bans against Southern African States by the West and United States resulting from the discovery of the Omicron variant in South Africa is but a perfect example among others of the levels of discrimination affecting people globally. The question is: How can the current experience of hunger and discrimination prepare or distract the hearts of the faithful and people of good will in their effort to receive the Lord at Christmas? The Church may need to teach with an edifying difference during this Christmas of 2021 in order to help the hearts of the discriminated and hungry faithful to receive the Lord at Christmas in a meaningful way. In a world where discrimination and hunger is rife, the Church cannot teach in the ordinary way, which may not strengthen the hearts of the faithful. The Church needs to reexamine her methods of imparting the message of Christmas. The shepherds should teach with a difference. Such are the times during which the faithful would long to meet the Jesus who came to feed people in their physical hunger in a meaningful and consoling way. By meeting the needs of those who are hungry in the physical sense, there needs also to be a way of moving towards greater harnessing of spiritual virtues and grace through a fraternal sharing of resources. For the faithful to meet the Lord in a meaningful way during these current challenges those who have wealth or simply more to spare need to make a sacrifice pleasant to the Lord –

the sacrifice of sharing. The shepherds and priests of the Church may need to teach and preach on the virtue of sharing with a difference, so that their message sits right with the needs of the faithful, both the rich and the poor. In doing so, they can overcome the ‘hard test’ of generosity in tough times, which strengthens and increases virtue in the journey of faith. The Christmas challenge for the Christian faith in 2021 requires the faithful to evolve spiritually. The nature of ‘preparation’ or ‘expectancy’ should not be seen as ‘a rosy’ preparation or expectancy through putting up Christmas decorations, inspiring as they may be. Practical charity is highly needed this time around. God himself has done the practical thing by sending his Son into the world to save humanity. There is need to keep on purifying our knowledge of God’s ways, which underlie the manner and conditions in which Jesus was born. The faith journey should not be perceived as a smooth journey, Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

because those prepared to embark on this journey must also be prepared for the challenges it presents: the challenge to grow in knowing God and his inscrutable ways that are very different from ours. Finally, the words of John the Baptist: ‘He [Jesus] must increase, but we [Christians] must decrease’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 524), should guide us along the way of faith in humility. We should do the practical things that the faith demands of us. Therefore, in the context of continued suffering under the deadly virus, the People of God are called to deeper unity than before as a way to meet the Lord who comes to all people on Christmas Day. During this Christmas the People of God are called to consider others first before themselves as a way of allowing Jesus to increase while they decrease. May the Lord help us, especially at the level of the heart, to successfully adapt to the Covid-related changes in life and give us wisdom in the search for meaning along the journey of faith which has its basis in the Child born for us.

The deserved banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after their fall into sin did not end up in an absolute catastrophe because the power of God’s mercy and love is indefatigable. For those who are willing to receive this gift, life is always renewed by God’s goodness.

fidelity. Hence, more than anything else, humanity is the recipient rather than an equal contractor in the covenantal promise that God made. Humankind acceptance of the covenantal promise is actually a reception of blessings from the Lord.

In expressing the consequences of the Fall, God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, ‘Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:14-15). Which offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent? Obviously Jesus. Who else could do that successfully? Nobody. So this is a remote pointer to the coming of the Saviour at the fullness of time.

In spite of the troubles that the elected people of Israel suffered due to their own sinfulness in the course of the history of salvation, God held on to the promise. We can cite three clear references to this. The first is in Isaiah 7:13-14, “Hear now, you hose of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” We know that the name to be given to the son means ‘God is with us’. The Lord never abandons his people as long as they still have this life on earth through which they can receive his gift of everlasting life. Indeed human hearts are tried and tested by troubles

The call of Abram, which was followed by the promise and blessing given to him by the Lord, after which his name was changed from Abram to Abraham is the kernel of promise of salvation. Through Abraham, the promise is made and it began to unfold albeit over a very long time. God’s fidelity to the promise keeps the promise alive. The fragility of humankind cannot be trusted with such

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and temptations. But it is through these experiences, with faith in the Lord, that the people of God conquer by entrusting themselves to the Lord, not by their own human power. The power to save does not belong to us; it is entirely God’s. It is again in the prophecy of Isaiah that we read: “For us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:6-7). Notice that this son is “Mighty God” and his other attributes. So this is the pronouncement of the visit of God himself to his people to redeem them. God gives himself to us because he is not in competition with anyone or anything. What God wants is that we “may have life and have it to the full” (cf Jn 10:10), since sin deprives us of the fullness of life. It robs us of a full

share in God’s gift of everlasting life. The people of God rejoice this Christmas time because God confounds the standards of the human world, which give special importance to the rich, the powerful and influential by any measure. Yet in his way of embracing all and sundry the Lord says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, through you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites” (Micah 5:2-3). Littleness is not merely a preference that God makes. It is the truth about all of humanity. Without God we are little, insignificant and nearly useless. Our greatness is in being united with God. A number of people in the history of salvation with whom the Lord worked his plan were little or insignificant in the eyes of their contemporary societies. Think of the origin or background of Moses, each of the biblical prophets – especially Amos, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph and the conditions of under which Jesus Christ himself was born. There is no splendor or power associated with

these people. God was their power! It is this same God who has visited his people in such a humble yet powerful way to redeem them. By choosing to come to us as a human being born of a simple, powerless but pure Virgin, the Lord Jesus, the Word made Flesh, has transformed our vulnerability into security. He was born vulnerable to the whims of the authorities of the day, who even sought to do away with him in infancy. Yet in that vulnerability that he assumed in becoming man, a vulnerability which is really ours – He has given us unparalleled security by taking us into himself, He who is the Head of his Body, the Church. It is only “through him, with him and in him” as the Eucharistic Doxology proclaims, that we are admitted into the kingdom of heaven. He has given us of Himself. He has given us Life Everlasting. Christmas is a time of giving indeed. Yet giving must be accompanied by humility, a virtue that makes the heart free from seeking praise and pride. Humility also gladdens the heart because vice does not

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co-exist with a humble heart. The joy of Christmas is supposed to be the joy of freedom from evil, from the slavery of sin because the Saviour is here with us. It is also the joy of being at peace with others who are supposed to be free from evil as well. So essentially it is the joy of the children of God who rejoice in their union with Jesus Christ the Redeemer. So blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, He has visited His people and redeemed. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour in the house of David his servant as He promised by the lips of holy men, those who were his prophets from of old – so goes the Benedictus – which is the prayer of praise that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, said when his son was born. This prayer of praise is also the Church’s hymn of praise at this time of Christmas, a time of God’s gracious love and mercy towards fallen humanity. Let this joy be the true character of Christmas celebrations punctuated by acts of generous sharing of love, time and resources in gratitude to God.

Come Oh Emmanuel! Hark, the herald angels sings! Silent Night, Holy Night! These opening words to some of the Christmas carols are what is characterising the streets and shops as Christians prepare for Christmas. In the Catholic Church the purple vestments and linen and no singing of the Gloria during Holy Mass mark the Advent season. The term ‘Advent’ means ‘coming’ – this refers to the coming of Jesus, His incarnation and the second meaning relates to the second coming of our Lord Jesus in glory. The coming of Jesus, Him being born and ushering in salvation into the word and fulfilling the

promise of redemption for all humanity was achieved through his incarnation. Jesus assumed the human body for us to be saved. In so doing he permeated our human nature with his divine nature. His act of assuming the human body enabled him to relate with everything human; he experienced hunger, fatigue, the pain of losing a loved one, the pain of rejection and also experienced love, friendship and other good deeds. By his incarnation, but except for sin, Jesus integrated the entire human condition into his personal identity as God the Son. He simultaneously elevated human nature to the status of co-existing with the Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

Godhead. This made him to interact with human beings in a manner that they relate with and in turn those who encountered him could also relate easily with him. This is very different from the shaking and quacking of mountains whenever God descended to speak to human beings through Moses, for example. By taking the human form, God who became man allowed the human person to participate in his own salvation. The onus is the human person to make every effort to relate with Jesus’ experiences and messages. Therefore, we can say that humanity participates through Jesus in its

own salvation. God could have saved humanity without us taking part in our own salvation. But then that would have overruled the exercise of our free will, which a fundamental gift that God gave us. Consequently, if we were not meant to freely participate in our salvation, we would not appreciate the entire historical event of our salvation. Thus by calling humanity to take part in its own salvation, God, through Jesus Christ, allows us to assimilate and accept the new gospel message as our own as well because it is meant for us after all. The beginning of Advent marks the beginning of a new Catholic liturgical calendar. Since Advent refers to the ‘coming’ or birth of Christ, the coming or birth of Christ ushers in a new world order. The Gospel of Jesus Christ presents us with the dawn of the kingdom of heaven in which human beings make progress through the flourishing of love, justice and glad tidings. The coming or birth of Christ also signifies the end of an old order. In the old order it was normal to have a prevalence of social exclusion as well as blatant injustice towards the poor and weak. With Christ’s coming there is a turn around on how people ought to pray without bragging about it, how they should relate with one another as part of their participation in establishing the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of love, peace, joy, hope and justice in their midst. The message of Christ is a message of change, growth and transformation. So with Advent two things are happen; first, the focus is on the coming of Christ and secondly the new Catholic liturgical calendar begins. These two also signify that the old order has come to an end, we should live in the new order inaugurated through the birth of Jesus Christ; and also a liturgical year has been completed while through its dying days we are reminded of the final judgement – for which reason we should embrace the newness of Christ.

The completion of a liturgical year points to the fact that as we begin a new liturgical calendar, there is need to do take stock of the previous liturgical year. Through this examination one should ask oneself the most pertinent questions about one’s faith as a way of finding out whether there has been areas of growth and/or lack of growth. Through this stocktaking, one comes to a realisation of how they grew throughout the previous liturgical year. This will also enlighten them on the areas where growth is still needed and that will become the focus for the new liturgical year. Our Christian spirituality is about growth, transformation and change – and this change is brought by Christ through his word which enlightens the individual on the areas where they need to assimilate, imitate and follow the life and message of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and state of the Youth As Jesus ministered to the people in the desert, he was aware of their social situations. It took some people who had courage to take their sick, lame or blind relatives to Jesus. Sometimes people would not approach Jesus because of fear of the crowds and also fear of this great prophet. In our own time there is also a possible deterrent that is making people not come to Jesus as they ordinarily should. The presence of corona virus in the world has disturbed the participation of the youth in the church. The novel corona virus has also taken away sources of income for millions of youth particularly those who are self-employed. This has led to mental health issues, suicide, early pregnancies, increase in drug abuse because the youth cannot find meaning in life. Some have become disoriented.

relationships, broken people, broken lives and a broken religion. He always has compassion on the youth since he was also once a youth. He understands what it means to be young through his own experience that he had as a youth; their challenges, their joys, life’s setbacks and how society in general perceives youth. The youth therefore need to approach Jesus who is the quintessential example and good model of what it means to be alive. Currently many governments are restricting vaccination accessibility mainly to frontline workers, the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions. Youth who are 70% of the total continental Africa are excluded from inoculation. Hence, they cannot participate in church owing to the policy that only the vaccinated are allowed to go to church. In as much as the youth can get consolation by accessing online Masses and other forms of prayer, these online opportunities cannot substitute the physical gathering. Youths today need spiritual up-lifting and consolation. Youths who have been excluded from Holy Mass should arrange small groups and meet in homes to pray, support each other and continue nourishing their souls through Bible sharing and peer accompaniment. Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there also” (Matthew 18:20). This Christmas, just like during the previous ones, Jesus ‘comes’ to gather with us. As youth peer-ministers, the coming of Christ this Christmas under the prevailing Covid-19 conditions, should inspire us to go and gather with other youths who are lonely, isolated, lacking love and friendship, those who are suffering economically and the socially excluded. The task of Christian youths is to re-energize the weak and bring the new born Christ to everyone.

In Matthew 15:32 we read that “Jesus had compassion on the crowds” and he ministered to them by providing what they needed. Jesus also has compassion on the youth since he came that “all my have life and life to the fullest” (John 10:10). Jesus came to restore broken

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‘The Word was made flesh’ - God in the person of his Son Jesus Christ, came to this earth to enter into and to assume the totality of human nature. He came in the body of a man, to live a human life. By so doing he became God made man. In order for God to become man he communicated to us in a spirit of love. He came through love and it is through love that he encounters and unites himself with those who are his brothers and sisters do his Father’s will through faith. As such, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is an expression of Divine Love, that is, the love of God. The origin of the incarnation is a testimony of God’s love

for humanity. This is what is expressed in the Gospel of St John 3:16 when it says that God loved the world and gave his only Son. The most basic characteristic of love and of the Incarnation in particular is that of ‘expression.’ A love that has never been expressed is no love at all. The coming of Christ over 2000 years ago is the visible ‘expression’ of a unique and eternal act of love that unfolds in time and space which basically began with the creation of the world and endures until the coming of the triumphant Christ at the end of the world. Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

The celebration of the mystery of the incarnation that happens at the beginning of every liturgical year is a recreation of the whole universe and of humanity (Gaudium et Spes # 22). As it is the recreation of humanity, the Incarnation, therefore, calls us to reflect deeply on what true humanity is. The words of St Irenaeus of Lyons which say “the glory of God is a human being fully alive” are also a call for us to reflect on in this regard. Are we fully live’? Following the logic of the Gospel of St John in view of Chapter 3:16, to be fully alive is to believe in the Word made Flesh. It is not only the health of mind and body that

makes us fully human but it is the grace of God, the Word living in us. Simply defined the grace of God is the life of God. And grace is synonymous with the presence of God. This is what Emmanuel means; God being ever present to us. God, because he became man in Jesus Christ, takes to himself, by virtue of that renewed humanity, all men and women of every time and place. Through this act, which we recall during the season of Christmas, we are brought into the presence of God in a profound and differentiated way. Love then is, in effect, a giving and taking such that the whole period after Christmas until the next advent is a time for us to respond to God’s love by the way we live and handle our lives. Those who get married say ‘yes’ to one another on a particular day and they do so in joy and freedom. We too say ‘yes’ to the love of God through the joy that we feel on the day of Christmas. Through their ‘yes’ which is actually said in theory those who get married are bound to live their commitment in daily life. In the same way a person’s response to the love of God given in the context of the celebration of the mystery of the Incarnation should be seen in the events of one’s daily life. The ‘yes’ of Jesus Christ to mankind given still in the context of the mystery of the Incarnation is perfect and complete. It is at once a total gift from God to humanity, and the expression of willingness, an openness to love human beings. So, following the same logic as that of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ the human person should surrender oneself to fellow human beings in love and in humility so that what Jesus accomplished for us can also be accomplished in others. What this means is that what the world needs more than anything else is love especially in this time of the pandemic of the Corona Virus that has lasted almost 2 years hitherto. Before the pandemic people would experience each other’s humanity

through physical embracing. But today this cannot be done due to the issue of the required physical distancing. Even though we were both physically contaminated and infected with the virus of sin God did not physically distance himself from us. Through the Incarnation God has became closer to us than when we fell into sin through Adam and Eve. The greatest lesson that we can draw from God’s act of love is that even though we are far from others due to the pandemic we can be close to them spiritually by keeping them in our hearts and minds. We can incarnate in our minds those who are far from us by praying for them and remembering them in our lives, especially those who are suffering. Through the pandemic society is being reborn into a new from. This is what is has come to be known as ‘living the new normal’ in the language of the pandemic. But the point is that an old house can be torn down and later replaced by a new one; but that does not necessarily mean that the people will also be changed. There is no doubt that they might remain the same. Society can be reborn anew even in the midst of the pandemic if there is an increase of love. The pandemic has not changed people positively. Those who have been thieves and fraudsters have continued to do so even to the extent of stealing Covidrelated funds. The police have found another way of taking money from those who travel during curfew times. Some hospitals have become too expensive for the ordinary citizens especially those infected by the Covid virus. Some have taken advantage of the ‘stay at home’ policy to sack their employees. Instead of the pandemic bringing people closer to each other, even though we have to physically distancing ourselves, it has pushed some away from others. Added to that a lot of families have broken seeing the rise in divorce cases as well as domestic violence or gender based violence.

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Violence is a refusal to love. Even though we are physically distanced we still have the freedom to love. In this context sin is a refusal to love. It is disallowing God’s love to enter into one’s life so that one can control it and through it reach others. Because God’s plan is a plan to love, which was realized through love, man’s refusal to love through his deeds offends God in his very being, which is love, because God is love (1 Jn 4:8). Anyone who says, “I love God, and hates his brother, is a liar” (1 Jn 4:20). There are liars in the world as evidenced by the prevalence of violence. So, there is also the need of the Incarnation of the truth. It is this truth that sets us free (c.f., Jn 4:32). It is also the truth concerning the goings on of the Covid 19 pandemic that will help set humanity free from it fears. If this is not yet done then we can say that the Incarnation is not yet complete. Provoked by persistent rumours and reports of abuse of vulnerable people, the Catholic Church of France has done an examination of conscience over the past three years. In the first week of October, the findings were published and they make for horrific reading: some 330,000 people, mainly boys between the ages of 11 and 14, were abused by personnel in Catholic institutions, mainly priests, over a seventy-year period from 1950. It gives little consolation to add that over half the abuse cases took place in the first two decades and the numbers diminished thereafter. Nor are the facts mitigated by the statistic that less than five percent of the clergy were involved. We know about this because the French Church faced up to its history. We also know that other countries – The United States, Australia, Chile, Poland, Germany and Ireland – have had similar investigations. It seems likely that the pressure will grow for similar enquiries to be made in other countries, including our own.

From Advent to Christmas. To speak of Christmas is to speak of Advent and to speak of Advent is to also speak of Christmas. These two (Christmas and Advent) cannot be separated; the one cannot do without another. By its nature, Advent is the time of hope and preparation of the Coming of the Lord, a spiritual preparation of the heart that seeks to open the doors to better receive the Lord who comes to save us from our sins and liberate us from the yoke of human and spiritual slavery. We can also say that Advent is characterized by contemplatively deepening the appreciation of the encounter between God, through the Angel Gabriel, and the Virgin Mary. This is the moment of the conception of Jesus – Emmanuel - God with us, as pointed out even earlier in the Old Testament: “Therefore the same Lord will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive,

and give birth to a son, and call his name Emmanuel” (Isaiah. 7:14), God with us, the Redeemer, and Mediator of God’s Love. Christmas is unlike all other human celebrations. It is the celebration of The Great Love of God; that love through which God created the world and with which he continues to sustain His creation. It (Christmas) must be perceived as a celebration of God’s encounter with humanity. It is a celebration of God’s Life right within our own being. In Jesus Christ, God emptied Himself, to give us a share of His love, for the salvation of humanity, which due to the sin of Adam and Eve would have perished. However, humanity did not recognize nor welcome the merciful love nor accept that this love dwells among us in person: “He came to his house, and his own people did not receive him”,

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(Jn 1:11). Despite this rejection, God in His love which is eternal, continues to be present to His creation, especially to human beings created in His own image and likeness. Christmas must also be understood as the beginning of God’s project of salvation. Even after the fall of Adam and Eve, which lis source of on-going conflict with the spirit of evil, God began His project of restorating human dignity. However, in this process of restoration, the Trinity asks humanity, only one thing, to open the heart, to welcome this worthy and holy project. God wants a heart that is free from evil, a heart that knows how to love and how to care for others. God the Son found a dwelling place in the womb of the young Virgin Mary: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She stands as an

abiding example for us to willingly give way to God. Mary participates in the project of liberation of humanity from evil. She not only became the handmaid of the Lord, but rather, she becomes the discipleship of the Love of God, who is Jesus Christ himself. How should we celebrate Christmas today? The celebration of Christmas should not be an exercise in the lip-service of wishing one another a Merry Christmas without an appropriate attitude and action. A Christian, being a participant in God’s liberating love, needs to have an attitude of openness to God, like Mary’s attitude, that is, to be first and foremost a “humble servant of God”. One needs to have an attitude or a disposition of welcoming of the Emmanuel - God with us. But this always implies a change of behavior towards created things, that is, to consider created things as “means” to glorify God and not as an “ultimate end”; for “the ultimate end” is the “salvation of the soul.” Saint Ignatius of Loyola, [Spiritual Exercises # 23] speaks of “indifference” before created things. Mary herself was indifferent to herself and the things around her and she valued God’s saving project. Jesus was indifferent to the Power He had, as a member of the Most Holy Trinity. He accepted to come into the world, to be humiliated even unto to death on the Cross for the salvation of humankind. The attitude of a humble servant is required for union with God and spiritual growth. It is acquired when humanity

returns to its interior life and give room to God’s love in the heart and accept that God’s love transforms and corrects personal limitations. Christmas challenges all Christians to develop the attitude of contemplating God’s love, in created things, in the life of people and especially in those who are in need. The motto of The Ignatian Jubilee, the 500 years of the conversion of Saint Ignatius through which he shared his spirituality “ “To See All Things New in Christ” draws us to contemplating the Love of God. It is not possible to “see all things new in Christ” if there is no deep experience of God’s Love. The Love of Christ, the Word of God, sustains and makes things new in the life of human beings. Another invitation that is extended to us at Christ’s birth is the development of the attitude of service. Every disciple of Jesus Christ is invited to have an attitude of service. Mary, in her state of pregnancy, visited and served her cousin Elizabeth with the good news that she wanted to share with her (Lk.1:39-40]; the Magi of the East visited the poor baby Jesus who had just been born and they offered valuable gifts. A visit to a needy person can provoke in him or her the feeling of joy and ultimately salvation. Jesus mentioned that his mission on earth is that of being a service by being a servant, that is, one who came to serve, not to be served, and give life to all (Mt. 20:28). So, Christian life and service go together hand and hand. Therefore, as disciples of Christ,

Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

Christians, as imitators of Christ, our default attitude must be that of service out of love for God. And neighbour. If we keep this in mind and put it to practice, then Christmas becomes for us a life giving moment, a moment of helping those who need our hand and or healing words. Another attitude appropriate for Christmas is the Promotion of Peace. There is no peace without love; peace is the fruit of love. When the Angel Gabriel visited Our Lady, he greeted her with the word “salve” or peace. The angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds with referene to “peace.” When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he greeted them and imparted peace to them: “Peace be with you” (Jn 21:26). Jesus is the Peace of the World, and the ‘Light of All Nations’. Without Jesus peace is not possible. Peace is the instrument for all human development and social transformation. The world needs to put an end to all kinds of violence in order to pave the way for peace. We need peace in our hearts and in our familiies so that everyone experiences life in abundance. Therefore, Christmas is not just a time for buying and receiving material gifts, even if their symbolic significance cannot be wished away. However, the most important gift which we should give one another is love. Love cannot be bought. So let us interiorly go to Bethlehem, adore the Emmanuel – God with us, and celebrate God’s Love for us all through active charity.

All of this has fed into the opinion that religion is bad for people and the world would be better off without it. Studies have shown a significant drop in church attendance in Europe and America and the same studies claim that religion will not recover. There are, of course, other reasons for the fall off in Church membership but abuse is one of them. What are readers of MUKAI/VUKANI to make of all this? Are we to pass by and say, ‘this could never happen here?’ We know we can’t. But it helps to make a distinction. What, for instance, do we mean by ‘religion’? Do we mean the structures, the ministers of religion, their relationships with people of God and even the participation in the liturgy? These are all clearly important but, in a real sense, they are not the heart of our faith. Our faith rests on our relationship with God and one another. It is greatly helped if all the other things are in place but it is not ultimately dependent on them. All the visible structures are ‘the earthen vessels’ of which St Paul speaks. They are not the treasure itself though, if they function well, they show forth the treasure. What I am trying to say is that our faith does not depend on the behaviour of Church ministers – though it may be greatly influenced by it - and it is sad that many people give up their faith because of the scandalous behaviour of some who have been entrusted with the care of the vulnerable. If we are agreed on that, we can go on to ask, ‘What are we to do, we, people of the twenty-first century?’ I and many others grew up in a Church that was heard and respected and now we find ourselves in one that, in a growing number of places, is scorned and abandoned.

Well, the first thing we must do is cool down and, as Augustine once said, enter into our innermost being where we find God. There we can ponder what all this means. For myself, over eighty that I am, it looks like a new dawn is beckoning. God has a surprise waiting for us. The Church is going through a huge humiliation and purification at every level. We will become a humbler Church, ready – not to be listened to – but to listen. Despite all the bad things that we see around us, and in the media, there is a basic goodness trying to break through in every area of society. To take just one example, think of the countless young and old people, of every faith and of no faith, who are working to save our planet from heating up to the point where life is impossible anymore. Our Church is now called to a new surge of creativity where each of us responds to the signs everywhere visible. Our old ways are no longer adequate. We are to engage with this yearning world we inhabit. People, in their anxiety - about their lives, their families, their relationships, their world - are aching for answers. What are their questions? We cannot presume to know. We are to listen. To those close to us. To those at a distance. Do we hear their cry? We are called by our Baptism so to live that they see in us some light, some salt. We are to keep the issue at the front of our minds. How can we reach out? This calls us to be creative. Every event is an opportunity to be creative. It is the power we share with God. In the Book of Genesis, we read the myth of the creation; it gives us a truth but not in a scientific or historical way. It is our ancestors’ way of describing God’s Mukai -Vukani No.82 | December 2021 |

gift to us. Once that act took place God handed over creation to us and invited us to take up the work. For better or for worse, that is what we have done for thousands of years. We are where we are because of our ancestors’ choices. What are our choices now? Can we be bold? Audacious? Can we start something? Can we ‘make a nuisance of ourselves’ as Pope Francis told the young people at the World Youth Day at Rio de Janeiro some years ago? Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.Almost a hundred years ago, R.H. Tawney wrote a book he called, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism. He built on an idea that had been proposed earlier: that the Protestant Reformation, which was in part a revolt against the all controlling hand of the pope in Rome, freed people to explore. Science and commerce, for examples, were able to research unrestrained and religion was ‘tamed’ and confined to a non-threatening role of confirmation and consolation. There was some truth in this. We have only to think of the Church’s persecution of the astronomer, Galileo, who confirmed Copernicus’ statement that the sun, not the earth, was the centre of our universe. This seemed heresy to Rome, locked in, as she was, to a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. But, for our purposes here, the point is; the reformers discovered the freedom to explore. We are in a new age of exploration and I am old enough to remember the excitement we felt when Pope John XXIII opened the windows of the Church in the early 1960s, when he called the Second Vatican Council and told us to be bold. It has taken us decades to heed his words.