The theme of my reflection, on this Christmas Eve night, is ‘ Peace’. The Order has just established the month of December as the month designated for all its members to pray for world peace and each year the whole Order will focus on praying for peace in a particular area of the world. This year the focus is on Colombia, South America, -that the peace agreement signed in 2016 will become a reality there. Conscious also of the lack of inner peace in ourselves at times and in people in general, I was led to ponder the title given to Jesus before his birth, that of Prince of Peace, in the book of the prophet Isaiah, which will be read tonight at Mass:
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder – Counsellor, Mighty –God,
Eternal- Father, Prince-of –Peace.
Wide is his dominion
In a peace that has no end.( Is. 9: 5-6 )
We long so much for this peace that ‘has no end’. We long for it for ourselves, our families, our communities, our friends and for the world at large. We want Isaiah’s prophecy, which says;
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire
– we want that to be realised now, without further delay. The Gospel tonight further reinforces this message of peace when it says:
And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host,
praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to
men who enjoy his favour’
This theme of peace abounds everywhere in the Christmas Liturgy tonight and tomorrow. In the entrance antiphon, Jesus is […]