As we approach Christmas Eve, Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits in Britain, shares a meaningful reflection on the significance of the Christ Child and the Holy Door that opens to us during this blessed season.

The opening of the Holy Door in Rome on Christmas Eve inaugurates the Holy Year. This door, which is usually sealed up, is an emblem of a divine breakthrough. God’s mercy is always available to us, but every so often, it breaks through into our lives with renewed force.  What has until now blocked our access is being dismantled. As we open the unlocked door, we enter the presence of God. In that presence, in all simplicity, we find reconciliation and are grateful.

The Christ-child, placed in the manger in the stable at Bethlehem, also opens a holy door. Humanity, once sealed-off from God, now has his Son among its own. Jesus opens a door to peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. He is only a baby and was born in poverty, yet He is strong enough and has sufficient resources to push open a door that seemed sealed shut forever. Christ is the door to the world and the door to heaven. Well-wishers come to the stable to give thanks for the One who has been born. Pilgrims standing awestruck on the threshold include the humblest and the greatest. This child, small as He is, can break down any barrier and open communication between those who might otherwise never speak. Jesus smiles at the world.

A holy door opens, a child smiles, and those who have been at odds with each other are reconciled. Our world is torn by war and injustice. There is trouble and sadness of every sort not far from us. Christ contemplates all this compassionately. He is preparing for action. The baby is the prince of peace. He has come to bring peace and reconciliation, justice and mercy.  He cannot sleep long in his manger. There is much to be done. A breakthrough of divinity into humanity brings grace and strength to all the good struggles. Helped by the child, we are renewed in our vigour and resolve as we reach out towards God, who is preparing to put right what has gone wrong.

The Jesuits in Britain and their partners in mission are jubilant as the Holy Year begins. We are allowing our love of Jesus Christ to be renewed and amplified as we stride through the holy door. Gratefully, we are allowing any blockages between us and God and his creation to be broken down. Humbly, we are moving forward in faith, hope, and love.

At the Christmas crib, we are praying for peace, reconciliation, and justice. A door is being opened for us by Jesus, God come into the world, God made human. A special time is beginning. We are delighted by our closeness to what earlier seemed sealed or blocked off. A year of joy, gratitude, and acceptance of what is being given to us by the One who breaks through all barriers is being inaugurated.

Fr Peter Gallagher SJ

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash