When people find out the date of my birthday, they usually respond: “Oh how terrible! You only get one set of presents! Poor you.” I must admit that when I was a kid, that was how I thought too.
But time and life experience change things, and as I approach my 25th birthday I’m seeing things a whole lot differently. The reason why people felt sorry for me about the timing of my birthday is because my birthday is Christmas Day. But in fact, the greatest Christmas present that I ever got was my birth: I am thankful to have had a birthday.
Twenty percent of the New Zealanders of my generation never had one, being victims of the abortion holocaust. More New Zealanders have been killed by abortion since 1977 than have been killed as a result of every major war that New Zealand has ever fought in from South Africa in 1899-1902 to East Timor from 1999-2003.
Christmas is a celebration of human life, created in the image and likeness of God. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, who is both perfect God and perfect man.
It is the greatest blessing of human nature possible. At the other end of His life on earth, Jesus Christ, the God-man gave up His life that we may have eternal life, again blessing humanity in the greatest way possible.
There was no room for our Lord in the homes and inns of Bethlehem on the night of His birth: The King of Kings was born in a cave rather than in luxurious surroundings, and laid to rest in a manger rather than in a fine crib. We like to think that we would have treated him better than that! But would we?
Materially we lack nothing: We live in one of the wealthiest societies that has ever existed in history, yet we seem to be unable to make room for one out of five of our unborn. We can’t have our “lifestyle” interrupted by new life.
Have you ever noticed that when people complain about the “surplus population” in our world, they never consider themselves to be part of that surplus? It is always someone else who is inconvenient. Our material riches cannot make up for what we lack spiritually.
“When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society” — Pope John Paul II.
Humanity is what makes this world fascinating. Every one of us is irreplaceable, unique. Even if you could be cloned, your clone would not be the same as you because of the unique personality you have. We all contribute to the world in different ways: Some people become statesmen, others scientists and others wealthy businessmen. Other people contribute greatly to our existence, but do so in a way that is unnoticed: Even those who perform the mundane and ordinary tasks play a great role in our world. When was the last time you thanked the man who collects your rubbish? He may be easy to forget — unless he forgets to collect one morning!
Our Lord spent the first 30 years quietly in His home in Nazareth with our Lady, learning the trade of a carpenter from the hands of St. Joseph. We know nothing of those quiet years of His life, except in the words of His neighbors: “He did all things well”.
Before we can have any role in the world, in a community, or in a family, we having to be brought into this world. That is why December is such a special month in my family: We not only celebrate our Lord’s birthday at Christmas time, and my birthday on Christmas Day, but also my grandfather’s birthday on the 15th of December, my older brother’s on the 17th of December, my younger brother’s on the 27th of December, and my father’s on the 28th of December. What will you be doing this Christmas? We will be celebrating life!
© Copyright 2004 Catholic Exchange
Sean Reynolds lives in Auckland, New Zealand. He has a keen interest in politics and defending the right to life.
