Thomas Griffin 12/21/24
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“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
In his first Christmas homily as pope, John Paul II highlighted the fact that when God entered the world, humanity’s response was to ignore Him and turn Him away. “Nowhere was there room,” the pope said. “From the beginning, the world showed itself inhospitable towards the God who was to be born as Man.”
Towards the end of his homily, the pope urged listeners to reflect on the fact of the world’s lack of hospitality towards God.
In our world today, it is easy to see this lack of hospitality as well. We know that this comes to fruition in our own personal sin, the imperfections of our families, and the trials of life. However, it is becoming vastly evident for real Catholic Christians in Nicaragua.
A year ago this month, the country saw many priests detained. Dozens have been exiled away from their country and their flock because of the persecution under President Daniel Ortega. He has consistently sought to drive out the Catholic presence in the country through his laws and actions against the church at large.
This past week, the Nicaraguan government issued a statement that banned religious sisters from the country. The government gave an ultimatum for all sisters to leave by the end of December. The list of persecution can be followed more thoroughly in this study by Martha Patricia Molina.
In the midst of such lack of hospitality towards Christ, we are reminded of the way that Jesus came into the world. In our lives, we are not facing what the church is in Nicaragua but we might be facing our own forms of unacceptance. In the midst of our smaller tribulations we can be united with Catholics in Nicaragua.
Each time you experience a challenge, think about those persecuted. When you pray at Sunday Mass, offer your Our Father for them. Ultimately, despite the lack of hospitality in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and in Nicaragua today, Christ is always with us and he will always reign victorious.
The Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, Silvio Baez, has provided the following words to his people as he continues in exile. He reminds the people of the truth of the Incarnation:
“Beyond the threats of those who hate the Church, there is a strong hand that guides and protects her. The hand of Jesus, who is a member of the Church, is stronger than the slander and persecution that are unleashed against her. The Church may seem weak, but it is not. Let us not be afraid. We are in good hands.”
Christ became one of us so that we would know that we are always taken care of. If he can defeat the grave, he can conquer any challenge. When Christ was born, King Herod was President Ortega – but worse. God knew the brokenness he entered, but He came anyway. This Christmas we can be assured that He is present with Nicaraguans, and us, as well.
Due to the amount of persecution, Pope Francis wrote a pastoral letter to the faithful in Nicaragua on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, saying: “Do not forget the loving Providence of the Lord, who accompanies us and is the only sure guide. Precisely in the most difficult moments, when it becomes humanly impossible to understand what God wants from us, we are called not to doubt His care and mercy.”
This type of language sounds outrageous and ridiculous to the world. How could God love us if He is allowing President Ortega to commit such crimes? How could their be light in the darkness of the Catholic culture in Nicaragua right now?
Ultimately, these questions are the same ones we pose towards the reality of Christmas? God is a child? Herod is after Jesus to kill him and eventually the Jewish hierarchy will hand him over to be killed. It seems as if God does not know what He is doing.
In the midst of such questions and doubt we must cling to the true hope that Christmas brings: God is with us. In the darkness and in the challenging crises of our times, Christ is ever-present, wailing with us and conveying the fact that no one can conquer his love – even when it seems as if there is no way God could have the victory.
As the days grow dark during this winter months and darker in Nicaragua, let us remain rooted in the surest truth: God holds us in His care. Let us be motivated to pray for those who are persecuted, who are becoming like Christ and may we be reminded that the small trials of our lives make us like him as well.
Then, and only then, will the truth of the God-child in the manger give us the vision we need to move forward – with our eyes pierced toward the light that overcomes all darkness.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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