PRAYING AND SINGING FOR PEACE THIS CHRISTMAS

Greetings from Fr. Bob ...

It has been said that Catholics only really sing in church at Christmas. I am not sure that this is true, but from my vantage point on the altar, I have to admit, it does appear on Christmas that everyone seems to be singing.

Who can remain silent when as entering the church we hear the strands of O Come All Ye Faithful; and it would not seem like Midnight Mass if we did not sing Silent Night, Holy Night. What a peaceful, gentle picture that beloved carol conjures up in the mind. But is it an accurate picture? Was it true then or is it true now?

In truth, there was no peaceful “silence” in crowded, chaotic Bethlehem the night Christ was born. It was a hamlet bursting at the seams with visitors and travelers who had come for the great census. There was no “calm” in all of Israel – only tension and conflict between the Jewish people and their Roman occupiers. Ancient Israel was hardly a place of “heavenly peace”. It was, in fact, a land torn apart by oppression, persecution and terror. Madness reigned on that “silent night”.

And yet, on that noisy, chaotic and anxious night, Christ our Savior was born. Hidden in a dark cave, the Light of the World was born. Amid the pain and anguish of a devastated people, the Messiah came with new hope and transforming joy.

Even though our world today – centuries later – may seem far from “silent”, our personal lives far from “calm”, and our futures far from “bright”, we know with the birth of each child comes new potential, exciting dreams and a promise of hope.

This year, as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, let us remember to pray and sing for peace on earth and good will to all because He has blessed our flawed and fractured world by walking upon it, by loving those in it, and by laying down His life for all who pass through it, for He would rather die … than live in eternity without us.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Bob Warren

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement

Headquartered at Graymoor in Garrison, NY, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement is a Roman Catholic religious community with social, pastoral and ecumenical ministries in the United States, Canada, England, Italy, and Japan.

Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

In the Franciscan tradition of hospitality, Graymoor Spiritual Life Center welcomes individuals and groups of all faiths for spiritual retreats, meetings, conferences and pilgrimages.

Located on a mountaintop overlooking the Hudson River Valley, facilities include overnight accommodations, large dining room, a library, three chapels, as well as meeting/seminar facilities.

Centro Pro Unione
Christian Unity and
Ecumenical Research

The Centro Pro Unione, founded and directed by the Society of the Atonement, is an ecumenical research and action center. Its purpose is to give space for dialogue, to be a place for study, research and information in ecumenism: theological, pastoral, social and spiritual.

Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute

Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute promotes Christian unity and interreligious dialogue in North America through its monthly (except August) journal, Ecumenical Trends, Lecture Series, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources.

St. Christopher's Inn
Residential Shelter & Substance Abuse Treatment Center

St. Christopher's Inn is a temporary shelter dedicated to the rehabilitation of men in crisis. Today the Inn shelters over 1,200 men per year, most of whom suffer from alcohol and/or drug addiction.

Our mission is to offer a continuum of quality health care services that facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing by providing chemical dependency treatment, primary health care, and temporary housing.