Denver Catholic

OPINION I 5 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I JANUARY 8, 2014 REAL LIFE CATHOLIC CHRISTOPHER STEFANICK Christmas is a season, not a day While the secular world is already moving on to St. Valentine's Day, Christians are still observing the Christmas season, which doesn't end until Jan. 12, the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas is a season, not a day. We need a season to celebrate and take in the great gift and truth the nativity of Christ represents. Prophetic writing several hundred years before Jesus' birth called him "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" and "Emmanuel," which means "God with us." He called himself "the Truth, the Life and the Way, the Resurrection and the Life" and "the Bread of Life." St. Paul said of Jesus, "In Him we live, we move, and have our being." The central claim of Christianity is that God became a baby and was born two millennia ago–that it's not myth, but historic fact the maker of the universe would have fit in one seat in a taxi, and at one point of his life, in a baby carseat in that taxi! If you think about it, that's the most radical claim of any faith in history. It's absurd, really. At first glance, it makes absolutely no sense that the God of the universe would do that. And of course, it wouldn't make any sense, if God were into power like us. It would make absolutely no sense for him to enter our world as a helpless infant, if his goal was to bring us to our knees and force our submission to him. It would make no sense for God to become man, helpless and poor, if God valued all the same things fallen man values. When man creates God we tend to create God in our own image and likeness, like the ancient Greeks did, whose deities were unpredictable, driven by lust and obsessed with power. But when God revealed himself, he showed us that he's more than we could have hoped for, but he's everything we're made for. He revealed himself as love. Of course, when we talk about God as love we're not talking about a "warm, fuzzy-feeling love," or an "I love pizza" love, but a love mighty enough to create space and time, a love who lays down his life for our good; a love we couldn't dream of being worthy of, but who gives himself to us anyway. And if God is love, then God made flesh makes perfect sense. Love would do nothing less than enter frail humanity with us, as one of us. He didn't come and appear as some huge spirit filling the sky, because love hadn't come to "wow" us. Love came to "woo" us. He didn't come as a great worldly king looking for our allegiance, though we'd owe it to him. He came looking for our hearts instead. And when you think about it, can you image God being anything less radical, less absurd or less beautiful than the love that Christians claim he is? When you see God in that light, what we Christians celebrate at Christmas makes perfect sense. In fact, it's the only thing that does. Visit speaker and author Christopher Stefanick at www.RealLifeCatholic.com. Stefanick's column is distributed by the Denver Catholic Register, the official newspaper of the Denver Archdiocese. Aquila The government does a great disservice to its citizens when it punishes and obstructs people of faith who seek to From Page 2 put their faith into action in the public square. Our nation is strengthened by In other words, the administration is people of faith, not threatened by them. attempting to enclose belief within the The Little Sisters of the Poor, for examfour walls of church buildings and state ple, have been caring for the elderly poor that a person should not bring their faith in Denver since 1917, providing a home to into the public square. people from every race and religion. Their This is a clear violation of the First mission statement describes their minisAmendment to the U.S. Constitution, try as offering the neediest a "home where which prevents the government from they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for prohibiting the free exercise of religion. as family, and accompanied with dignity When the Obama administration decid- until God calls them to himself." ed to promulgate the Health and Human Denver and the rest of our country Services mandate, in essence it said that it need their loving kindness for the disknew better than Catholics, Evangelicals, advantaged and elderly, and our society Baptists, Mormons, Orthodox Jews and would be poorer without it. Muslims what they should believe, and I urge every Catholic in the archdiocese that it would use the force of law to make to seek the Lord, to encounter him and objectors comply with its decisions. his love in your heart. Then, share God's Regardless of the outcome of the 91 love and mercy with your family, your lawsuits working their way through the workplace and the world. And when you nation's court system, the larger problem encounter the Lord in your heart, pray for of the state regulating religion remains a a victory for the freedom of religion. long-term concern. Historic Margery Reed Mayo Day Nursery Now Enrolling We have low teacher to child ratios and we provide all diapers, wipes, formula, and food! Requirements: •Children age 6 weeks – 5 years old •We accept CCAP and TANF child care payments. We are a proud participant in the Denver Preschool • Ask about our Fee Based Full Day Care for all ages and Free part day preschool for 3-5 year olds who qualify Call today to enroll your child! 1128 28th Street Denver, CO 80205 303-308-1420

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