When we feel helpless, all we need to do is to look at a helpless little baby in a manger in Bethlehem. The One Who emptied himself to take on our all-too-fragile flesh and blood. The One Who suffered everything we suffer but sin. The One who was attacked and tortured, who died the shameful death of a criminal. And, when he died and was buried, the world thought it had heard the last of him.
Yet God chose Jesus, Who died a shameful death, to be the one to shame the rich, the powerful, the cynical, the sophisticated worldy-wise. God gave victory to the faithful fool who loved us with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and who asks us to love him with the same total trust and devotion. God challenges us to believe that, helpless and small as we are, our lives, prayers, good deeds, and ministries have significance and consequence.
We are the ones whom the world calls foolish now because of what we believe and how we live. We believe in God our heavenly Parent. We live our lives following Jesus, God's Son, whom we believe rose from the dead, even when that means carrying a heavy cross of suffering. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Unity and Reconciliation, Who reminds us of all Jesus taught us. We believe in the commitment of marriage and in responsible parenting. We believe that God has a preferential option for the poor and wants us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, be present to the sick and the dying, be there to help bury the dead, and to be responsible stewards to a polluted world.
Many in the world who have no or little faith end up being overwhelmed by life and suffering and death. They do not have the ongoing spiritual strength to bear their problems, so they escape into addictions and a flight from responsibility. But, remember the words that the ancient pagans spoke when they saw the early Christians: "See how they love one another." When we live out our faith in practical acts of love and commitment, we bear witness to the truth of Who God is: God is Love.
When members of the many branches of Christianity pray for and with each other, and take time to share their faith in their similar beliefs, they bear witness to the work of the Holy Spirit, the Source of Unity and Reconciliation. When Christians reach out to those whom society fears and turns away from and isolates - as Jesus reached out to the outcasts - we bear witness to the Power of Jesus to change lives. When we reach out in friendship and respect to non-Christians, we bear witness to the Power of the Father Who parents all His children and inspires them with His Law written on all people's hearts.
We must not let pessimism and self-doubt paralyze us. Pope Francis reminds us:
"Because the Faith is so revolutionary, it will be under constant attack by the enemy, not so much to destroy it as to weaken it, make it inoperative, remove it from contact with the holy, with the Lord of all faith and all life....A most serious temptation, one that impedes our contact with the Lord, is defeatism. When the enemy comes up against a faith that is by definition militant, he takes on the appearance of an angel of light and begins to sow seeds of pessimism. To engage effectively in any struggle, one must be confident of victory.... Christian victory always involves a cross, but a cross that is the banner of victory."
Now is the time to honor the helpless small babe who achieved victory for all time and eternity. Now is the time to believe in our capacity for small victories.
In this season of joy, many are suffering from depression. Their faith may have been shattered, or is weak to begin with, or they have none. Now is the time to believe in small victories. To believe in the power of a loving Christmas card to give a ray of hope. To believe in taking the time to make a phone call to someone who has suffered a loss. To believe in the power of an unexpected occasion when you can almost casually witness in a conversation to why Jesus means so much to you and helps you be strong. To believe in the power of holiday parties where people from different faith traditions are gathered and we can reach out to those whose lifestyles or faith traditions are different from ours. Jesus was known to enjoy parties!
Now is the time to believe in small victories. To have the courage to include our enemies in our prayers. To give socks or gloves to the poor, the homeless or to refugees. To choose to go to Church on Christmas Eve or Christmas to thank God for the gift of His Son before you go to a Christmas party.
Jesus brought people to faith one by one, by one personal friendship and encounter after another. Do people - maybe even and especially those who specialize in "drama," - know that you truly care about them as, simply, people? Do you love others without hidden agendas? Do people have to be "perfect" before you bother with them? Or do you believe, that as a Christ - Follower, you too have the Power in the Spirit to see all with God's eyes of love, mercy, and compassion?
Those who are the enemies of love believe that God is above all a God of punishment and judgement, a God of anger and retribution. They have not followed the golden thread of God's mercy and forgiveness that flows like a living stream through all the books of the Bible. God is the Perfect Fool for Love. THAT is how Jesus won the victory. We too will win our victories when, in faith, we are generous fools for Love and Forgiveness and Mercy.