Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia (284-305)
Nativity Fast. Abstinence from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read
James 2:1-13; Mark 10:23-32
Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel regularly warns us against placing our trust in riches and in our material possessions. It is His explicit teaching that those who rely on their wealth and on what things they possess are hindered from entering the kingdom of God: “And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.’”
Brothers and sisters, we cannot save ourselves. Christ saves us! Material possessions do not save us. If anything, possessions held for the sake of merely possessing them can be a burden to us and serve as distractions to our spiritual life. Our consuming of material things for the sake of consumption, our purchase of things which we don’t need, and our over-reliance on spending money to acquire goods are all evidence of grave spiritual sickness. If we believe that in them there is true meaning then that is idolatry and we have been deceived. Perhaps we believe that in possessing things we can acquire happiness. If we do find that happiness, it is short lived and we quickly move on to purchasing the next thing: that next electronic device, that next trinket, that next download or CD or vinyl record, that next special something for our house, that next thrill. In this there may be short-lived happiness, but that happiness does not save us. What we desire most as Christians is salvation. Only Jesus Christ saves us. And in saving us, He gives us something much greater than happiness: He gives us the joy of His Glorious Resurrection which is salvation itself.
Brothers and sisters, let us at this Christmastide be exceedingly grateful for all that the Lord has given us. Let us give those we love gifts that are emblematic of the gifts that the Magi gave to the child Jesus. But let us remember that in giving those gifts we must glorify God for His bounty and not mistake these perishable things for means of salvation. There is only one means of salvation and it is the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Saviour Jesus Christ. That is the greatest gift. In it there is joy and redemption.