The “Christmas spirit” is sort of like that. There is a light
in the darkness that we all want to see and share with others. There is a sense
that we’re all feeling it at the same time—the magic in the air of a shared
moment. Aren’t we all anticipating? Aren’t we all joyful? Aren’t we all seeing
the cozy glow amidst the dark winter?
Of course, that’s just a feeling. Some don’t celebrate. Struggles
continue. There is pain and loneliness, as there always is. On July 8 at 11:15
GMT, millions are experiencing nighttime. Millions more are on the edge of
twilight; it might as well look like night. The shared moment isn’t all-encompassing.
It’s difficult to get 8 billion people on the same page at the same time.
But the Church offers us as close as a shared moment as we
can get. It may oscillate a bit with time zones, but we say the same prayers,
read the same verses, celebrate the same holidays together. I don’t need to
know you to know we’re sharing a feeling, experiencing the same joy of the
coming king. We’re looking up at the same strange star. We’re looking down into
the same humble manger.
The surrounding lights and flowers and decorations and sweet smells tell us that others around us are all on the same page. It’s the darkest time of year, but we all are celebrating light. In fact, we’re surrounded by light—the strings of lights, the candles, the goodwill. We can and do find solidarity with one another. We appreciate the season while it lasts. Together we acknowledge a shared moment—across time and space and culture and language.
In one brilliant moment, amidst the dark and chaos, the Light of the World enters, and we begin
to experience our salvation.
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