One of my favorite Christmas traditions is how we decorate our homes inside and out with lights. I love driving around my city to see all the bright, colorful decorations that adorn roofs, trees, and even lawns. Early in the morning, sometimes even before I rouse my heavy-eyed children from their sleep, I’ll be sure to turn on the Christmas tree to light up our living room. My fondness for Christmas lights is partly nostalgic, but I also see these lights as a visible reminder of the truth at the heart of the Christmas season: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5).
Many are afflicted by the darkness of sorrow and suffering, by “nights of solitude” that threaten to overwhelm us (see Spe salvi, no. 32) or “the thick darkness of humiliations, doubts, hopelessness and persecution” (Salvifici doloris, no. 20). We might be tempted to give in to despair for a whole host of reasons: if we come from regions ravaged by war or countries where tyrannical regimes continue to oppress the Catholic Church; if we have recently lost a loved one, or we care for a loved one who continues to suffer from quiet, long-lasting pain, sorrow or illness; or if we are estranged from our family members.
If we are tempted to despair—whatever the reason might be—we should be mindful of the beautiful truth that is manifested at this time of year:
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils. (Isaiah 9:1–2)
For those of us in the northern hemisphere (including Bethlehem), this time of year is the darkest: Christmas comes just after the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Only once Christmas comes do the days begin to grow longer and the nights decrease. Even in the coldness of winter, we know that the light will continue to grow over the coming months. The calendar shows us why we should have hope, for “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5).
In his homily for the Nativity of the Lord, Pope Francis reminded us, “God has become one of us to make us like himself; he has come down to us to lift us up and restore us to the embrace of the Father. Sisters and brothers, this is our hope. God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? As a little child. If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint!”
The culmination of the Christmas season is the Epiphany of our Lord (traditionally celebrated on January 6). The fullness of the Epiphany celebrates three key moments in Christ’s life: the adoration by the magi, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan, and the wedding feast at Cana (see CCC, no. 528). Together these mysteries celebrate the true Light, Christ, who has come to us and offers us—all of us—hope.
For many, the beginning of the new year is a time of optimism, where we might make resolutions for new and better habits, or look forward to special events in the coming year. These are good things to do! We should always strive to be better and to take joy in the blessings in our lives. At the same time, we should be aware that the virtue of hope “is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God’s mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness” (Deus caritas est, no. 39).
Through hope, we are “preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity” (CCC, no. 1818). Our hope, while anticipating our eventual union with Christ, is lived most fully when we live with love for God and for our neighbor. I often offer my students (and my children) the analogy of doing well in a class: a person can desire to do well in class, but without studying or participation, they will not succeed. The desire to do well must be lived out throughout the length of the course; otherwise, the desire is in vain. Similarly, if we hope for union with God, we must live out this hope by allowing his love to direct our lives.
Often when people make resolutions for the new year, they are disappointed when they cannot sustain their resolutions. Christ is aware of our constant need for renewal, and he offers us the chance to have our hope revitalized each time we partake of the Eucharist. The Catechism teaches us, “There is no surer pledge or clearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth ‘in which righteousness dwells,’ than the Eucharist” (CCC, no. 1405).
This year, during the Jubilee Year (“Pilgrims of Hope”), let us be especially attentive to Christ’s offer of hope in the Eucharist, where he comes to dispel our darkness and to fill us “with every grace and blessing.”
