‘Blessed be the Lord...for he has come to his people and set them free’

Most Reverend Michael Mulvey is bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
 

I want to take the opportunity to wish each one of you, our readers, a very blessed and holy Christmas season. During this Advent, in a particular way, the Canticle of Zechariah found in St. Luke’s Gospel has been speaking loudly to me. The Canticle begins, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. For He has come to his people and set them free.” Each Christmas we celebrate with family, friends and with the Church the fact that God has come to his people and that he has set us free. What can that mean for us this Christmas?  

This year has been a very difficult year for so many.  There has been violence in streets across America. There has been violence in a church not far from where we are. There have been earthquakes and of course hurricanes. So many of us have been affected by Hurricane Harvey.  

There are two things that I reflect upon when I think of the words, “He has come to set us free.”  During Hurricane Harvey, we recognized throughout the Coastal Bend, across Texas and across the country how people have been set free from their own concerns and in some cases self-absorption. People have responded to the needs of their brothers and sisters in a heroic way and for that we are grateful. The presence of the Lord, the presence of our faith is always there to set us free from selfishness to selflessness. Let us continue that freedom that we find in loving others and serving others, not only during this time of Christmas but in the coming year. 

The second expression of the fulfillment of those words “he has come to set us free” is that the presence of the Lord gives us hope. The Christian should never, ever live without hope. If we are free from fear, if we are free from discouragement, if we are free from anxieties as the Gospel of Matthew shows us, then we have hope. As we enter into this coming year let it be a year of hope for us, let us not be discouraged or deterred in our efforts to build up our families and our communities with love and with service.

The reality of God’s Kingdom can come about only with our participation and our help. It is a task that has been entrusted to us by the one who was sent to us from the Father, Jesus Christ. 

I wish each one of you the best during this Christmas season. May families be reconciled. May people who are lonely find the presence of God through others. And may the coming year of 2018 be filled with joy and with hope. I assure each one of you of my prayers during this very special and holy season. God bless each one of you and your families.