The meaning of Christmas
The meaning of Christmas is often overlooked, overshadowed or simply misrepresented in western culture. It appears that everyone celebrates Christmas while not celebrating it at all. Christmas has become the feast which is universally recognised yet very few delve deep enough to actually contemplate on its meaning. The significance of Christmas is that God became flesh to save the world from sin. But what does it mean for God to become flesh? God becoming flesh collapses the realm between the divine and the earthly. God became flesh so that man could become divine. The significance of Jesus being fully man and fully divine is that He entered into human dysfunction and became one of us. God humbled Himself in becoming man. His love so abundant that He exalted mankind which had turned away from Him by humbling His own son. Ultimately, the meaning of Christmas is God’s love for us. Christmas is a time to contemplate on what we already know, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save mankind out of the abundance of His mercy. Jesus entered our history, he shared our journey. He came to us free from darkness in order to grant us light.
Christmas meditation
The light shined in the darkness
On that first Christmas night, the light shined in the darkness.
As we approach Christmas, let us remember the words of Pope Francis: A Christmas without light is not Christmas. Let there be light in the soul, in the heart; let there be forgiveness to others; let there be no hostilities or darkness. … Let there be the beautiful light of Jesus.
This is a time of self-examination. That self-examination is meant to open us up, to let that light in. If there is a crack in everything, including ourselves, then let’s let the light into every crack, every imperfection, every opening, every darkness. For Christ is coming – and he will be born not only to us but also in us. Let us be ready to bear Christ our light into the darkness of this world and remember that the light of Christ is always present, even in our darkest of times. We just have to remember it is there and call it forward in our internal awareness. We do not have to create the light; we have to reveal it. As it says in Genesis, “Let there be light and there was light.” In other words, let us allow the light that is already there to reveal itself; we need only to be open to its presence.
May we be transparent bearers of that Light this Christmas, shining with rays of mercy to all in need.
Meditation on Saint Charbel
In this quite often gloomy world, which seems to stray further and further away from the light of Christ, there remains a luminous force attempting to cut through the darkness that we all seem to face. This force is not one begotten by the intellect of humanity, nor the advancement of our technology, rather we see it manifest through the holiness that is Saint Charbel, a product of simplicity, faith, and earnest reflection of the soul.
There are many factors that have made Saint Charbel unique, in many respects unlike any other person to walk the Earth. Nevertheless, there is something mysterious about the intercession of Saint Charbel that we are seeing around the world. While many of these factors are often thought of and reflected on, such as his humility, his strong will, his faith and devotion to Jesus and so on, he is not the first nor the last person to carry such traits.
Through the grace of God, we are witnessing the intercession of Saint Charbel in remarkable situations. The light he is shining in some of the darkest conditions is a cause for pause and contemplation. Why is it that this grounded and simple man; rooted in the essence of the mountains of Lebanon, a place so isolated and abstract from many parts of the world, has become an intercessor for the light of Christ all around the world? From Lebanon to Venezuela, Canada to Croatia, we are witnessing this cutting through of earthly darkness, an interruption of the gloominess of evil.
While the world is constantly surrounding us with this darkness, let us look at our own selves, just as Saint Charbel did, and resolve the darkness within our own mind and soul. The darkness within us will never allow us to combat the evil and suffering we see around us; it will startle our goodwill and interrupt our good deeds. These ever-present sins that we find ourselves often falling back to are the missing piece of our own spiritual puzzle. Once our foundation is firm, perhaps we might get closer to living and understanding this mystery, the mystery of the intercessory power of Saint Charbel.
Keep Your Eyes Fixed on What Really Matters
Today, the Church presents the Hermit of Lebanon not only for our veneration but also as a model for all Christians. Saint Charbel brought healing, justice, and peace amid the chaos and confusion of daily human life.
How can we imitate the life of a hermit in our own daily lives? While not all of us are called to the religious life as hermits, we are all called to a life of holiness and true happiness with God.
In his image, Saint Charbel’s eyes are always cast down. For the last decades of his life, he practiced strict custody of the eyes, only raising them to look at the Tabernacle and the Eucharist. The Church, too, and the family of Saint Charbel, like Saint Charbel himself, must keep its eyes fixed on what truly matters: the Divine, and more specifically, the Blessed Sacrament.
In a world full of distractions, persecutions, and temptations pulling us away from God and our faith, we can look to Saint Charbel as an example of a life of simplicity, prayer, and humility. While his eyes were always directed to the ground, his heart, mind, and soul were continually lifted to God.
When we consider the life of Saint Charbel—one of obedience, childlike simplicity, mortification, and deprivation—we learn to seek those things in life that will lead us toward eternity. We learn to put God first. Saint Charbel was a soul who could detach himself from everything except the adorable face of the Lord. Nothing mattered more to him than the redemption and salvation of souls, for whom he was willing to offer his life in union with Christ on the cross.
When life becomes too noisy and overwhelming, and we forget to make God a priority, we can ask for the intercession of Saint Charbel to help simplify our lives and provide spiritual light in a world of darkness.
We pray for the family of Saint Charbel, here and all over the world, to draw strength from his example and live in the light of his holiness.
Christmas meditation
Close your eyes-Imagine you are holding Jesus in your arms
As I gaze into his eyes, and hold new life, I knew my life would never be the same. I knew my life would be consumed with loving him, and I knew, that I would experience love in a way I had never experienced before.
I can feel the warmth… the movement of gentle new life….Life…. The life of God… in my arms….fragile, alive and real… Jesus in my arms fully divine and fully human.
As I see Jesus looking up at me, I can feel the profound love and the strong bond.
I know i can spend all my life looking at him while He’s looking at me too.
Jesus in my arms for the first time—a moment that exemplifies “the Word became flesh and lived among us”.
Will I let go of other things to hold Christ? I can’t have my hands full, …..busy with earthly things and hold Him. I can’t serve two masters.
Though it is I’m holding Jesus now in my arms, He is the One who is going to hold all of humanity with the arms of love, mercy and salvation.
Jesus’ birth changed my life and brought powerful light into our dark world.
My dear Lord,
So small and innocent, may I hold You in my heart with an embrace of pure love.
May I feel Your Heart beat with mine and Your love poured forth in this sweet embrace.
When I open my eyes, I realise that I’m not physically holding you in my arms, I’m holding you in my heart.
In my hands, my arms, my heart….and I want to bring you to others so they will know you too… and feel your love.
Meditation on the gospel of Martha and Mary
Focus on a spiritual community
The priorities of Martha and Mariam talks to our present-day church and its community. Much is made about the decline of catholic teaching amongst its adherents. Large percentage of Catholics believe in teachings that are contrary to what the Catholic Church teaches. Our Catholicism has been watered down to fit into the current society, rather than allowing our beliefs to influence the society around us. Our social climate is one which is fervently anti-Christian, and this has seeped into the church and its adherents. It’s as if we have lost sight of Jesus and are too focused on the earth. Our focus has been heavily geared towards our earthly lives, rather than our spiritual lives, and this in turn has made us lose track of what is important. Jesus praised Mariam for having her eyes focused solely on the spiritual and not the earthly. Martha was too consumed with the social elements. The dangers of concentrating on the social elements is that we may lose sight of what is truly important, as we have done now. A church community focused solely on Jesus is one which coincides with the spirituality and teachings of the church. It is one that is influential in its day, and one that attracts believers with its truth and its beauty. If we are solely concerned with Jesus, then the earthly aspects will become imbedded within the spiritual. This way, believers might be steadfast with the church, because their priority is with Jesus.
Meditation on the gospel of Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus
Light and darkness
In this gospel passage, we witness the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus; who was probably a member of the Jewish court at the time (thus was among people unbelieving of Jesus’ testimony), approaches Jesus “by night”. The motif of light and darkness is littered throughout the passage. Nicodemus’ approach is highlighted in this way to link the response that Jesus makes towards the end of the passage. Firstly, Jesus exclaims that we ought to be “born again of the spirit” in order to receive eternal life. In other words, Jesus claims that we must be witness to the testimony of Jesus through spirit and mind in order to reap the rewards waiting for us. Towards the end of the passage, Jesus claims that “everyone who does evil hates the light”, and does not wish to expose themselves in the light. This is the link back to Nicodemus’ initial approach that the gospel wishes to highlight. By approaching Jesus at night, Nicodemus illustrates that he fears persecution from those around him, those that do not believe in Jesus’ testimony. He is thus witness to darkness. Jesus wishes to highlight that we must strive away from darkness, and steer towards light, light which resembles truth, light which resembles openness, light which resembles Christ’s testimony, and light which resembles Christ Himself.
Saint Anthony the Great – Where God Becomes Enough
Saint Anthony the Great was so deeply moved at the age of twenty by the Gospel words, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor” (Mk 10:21), that he freely gave away his inheritance to follow Christ. His life teaches us that possessions themselves are not dangerous—attachment is. Entering the desert, Anthony chose a place of truth rather than comfort, where illusions were stripped away: no applause, no distractions, no false identity.
There he confronted the real spiritual battles—pride disguised as success, fear disguised as caution, and noise disguised as productivity—struggles that remain just as real today. Though he founded no formal rule, Anthony became a true father, forming hearts rather than institutions. His spiritual fatherhood, marked by prayer, compassion, and a willingness to carry the wounds of others. This spirit deeply shaped Maronite monasticism, which inherited obedience rooted in love, authority that heals rather than controls, and community born from relationship.
For Maronite monks today, the “desert” may be silence in a noisy world, fidelity in an unstable culture, or prayer lived faithfully. Anthony’s desert still echoes in the Lebanese mountains, where monastic life continues to draw people not to theories, but to healing, guidance, and a living encounter with God.
The meaning of Christmas is often overlooked, overshadowed or simply misrepresented in western culture. It appears that everyone celebrates Christmas while not celebrating it at all. Christmas has become the feast which is universally recognised yet very few delve deep enough to actually contemplate on its meaning. The significance of Christmas is that God became flesh to save the world from sin. But what does it mean for God to become flesh? God becoming flesh collapses the realm between the divine and the earthly. God became flesh so that man could become divine. The significance of Jesus being fully man and fully divine is that He entered into human dysfunction and became one of us. God humbled Himself in becoming man. His love so abundant that He exalted mankind which had turned away from Him by humbling His own son. Ultimately, the meaning of Christmas is God’s love for us. Christmas is a time to contemplate on what we already know, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save mankind out of the abundance of His mercy. Jesus entered our history, he shared our journey. He came to us free from darkness in order to grant us light.
Christmas meditation
The light shined in the darkness
On that first Christmas night, the light shined in the darkness.
As we approach Christmas, let us remember the words of Pope Francis: A Christmas without light is not Christmas. Let there be light in the soul, in the heart; let there be forgiveness to others; let there be no hostilities or darkness. … Let there be the beautiful light of Jesus.
This is a time of self-examination. That self-examination is meant to open us up, to let that light in. If there is a crack in everything, including ourselves, then let’s let the light into every crack, every imperfection, every opening, every darkness. For Christ is coming – and he will be born not only to us but also in us. Let us be ready to bear Christ our light into the darkness of this world and remember that the light of Christ is always present, even in our darkest of times. We just have to remember it is there and call it forward in our internal awareness. We do not have to create the light; we have to reveal it. As it says in Genesis, “Let there be light and there was light.” In other words, let us allow the light that is already there to reveal itself; we need only to be open to its presence.
May we be transparent bearers of that Light this Christmas, shining with rays of mercy to all in need.
Meditation on Saint Charbel
In this quite often gloomy world, which seems to stray further and further away from the light of Christ, there remains a luminous force attempting to cut through the darkness that we all seem to face. This force is not one begotten by the intellect of humanity, nor the advancement of our technology, rather we see it manifest through the holiness that is Saint Charbel, a product of simplicity, faith, and earnest reflection of the soul.
There are many factors that have made Saint Charbel unique, in many respects unlike any other person to walk the Earth. Nevertheless, there is something mysterious about the intercession of Saint Charbel that we are seeing around the world. While many of these factors are often thought of and reflected on, such as his humility, his strong will, his faith and devotion to Jesus and so on, he is not the first nor the last person to carry such traits.
Through the grace of God, we are witnessing the intercession of Saint Charbel in remarkable situations. The light he is shining in some of the darkest conditions is a cause for pause and contemplation. Why is it that this grounded and simple man; rooted in the essence of the mountains of Lebanon, a place so isolated and abstract from many parts of the world, has become an intercessor for the light of Christ all around the world? From Lebanon to Venezuela, Canada to Croatia, we are witnessing this cutting through of earthly darkness, an interruption of the gloominess of evil.
While the world is constantly surrounding us with this darkness, let us look at our own selves, just as Saint Charbel did, and resolve the darkness within our own mind and soul. The darkness within us will never allow us to combat the evil and suffering we see around us; it will startle our goodwill and interrupt our good deeds. These ever-present sins that we find ourselves often falling back to are the missing piece of our own spiritual puzzle. Once our foundation is firm, perhaps we might get closer to living and understanding this mystery, the mystery of the intercessory power of Saint Charbel.
Keep Your Eyes Fixed on What Really Matters
Today, the Church presents the Hermit of Lebanon not only for our veneration but also as a model for all Christians. Saint Charbel brought healing, justice, and peace amid the chaos and confusion of daily human life.
How can we imitate the life of a hermit in our own daily lives? While not all of us are called to the religious life as hermits, we are all called to a life of holiness and true happiness with God.
In his image, Saint Charbel’s eyes are always cast down. For the last decades of his life, he practiced strict custody of the eyes, only raising them to look at the Tabernacle and the Eucharist. The Church, too, and the family of Saint Charbel, like Saint Charbel himself, must keep its eyes fixed on what truly matters: the Divine, and more specifically, the Blessed Sacrament.
In a world full of distractions, persecutions, and temptations pulling us away from God and our faith, we can look to Saint Charbel as an example of a life of simplicity, prayer, and humility. While his eyes were always directed to the ground, his heart, mind, and soul were continually lifted to God.
When we consider the life of Saint Charbel—one of obedience, childlike simplicity, mortification, and deprivation—we learn to seek those things in life that will lead us toward eternity. We learn to put God first. Saint Charbel was a soul who could detach himself from everything except the adorable face of the Lord. Nothing mattered more to him than the redemption and salvation of souls, for whom he was willing to offer his life in union with Christ on the cross.
When life becomes too noisy and overwhelming, and we forget to make God a priority, we can ask for the intercession of Saint Charbel to help simplify our lives and provide spiritual light in a world of darkness.
We pray for the family of Saint Charbel, here and all over the world, to draw strength from his example and live in the light of his holiness.
Christmas meditation
Close your eyes-Imagine you are holding Jesus in your arms
As I gaze into his eyes, and hold new life, I knew my life would never be the same. I knew my life would be consumed with loving him, and I knew, that I would experience love in a way I had never experienced before.
I can feel the warmth… the movement of gentle new life….Life…. The life of God… in my arms….fragile, alive and real… Jesus in my arms fully divine and fully human.
As I see Jesus looking up at me, I can feel the profound love and the strong bond.
I know i can spend all my life looking at him while He’s looking at me too.
Jesus in my arms for the first time—a moment that exemplifies “the Word became flesh and lived among us”.
Will I let go of other things to hold Christ? I can’t have my hands full, …..busy with earthly things and hold Him. I can’t serve two masters.
Though it is I’m holding Jesus now in my arms, He is the One who is going to hold all of humanity with the arms of love, mercy and salvation.
Jesus’ birth changed my life and brought powerful light into our dark world.
My dear Lord,
So small and innocent, may I hold You in my heart with an embrace of pure love.
May I feel Your Heart beat with mine and Your love poured forth in this sweet embrace.
When I open my eyes, I realise that I’m not physically holding you in my arms, I’m holding you in my heart.
In my hands, my arms, my heart….and I want to bring you to others so they will know you too… and feel your love.
Meditation on the gospel of Martha and Mary
Focus on a spiritual community
The priorities of Martha and Mariam talks to our present-day church and its community. Much is made about the decline of catholic teaching amongst its adherents. Large percentage of Catholics believe in teachings that are contrary to what the Catholic Church teaches. Our Catholicism has been watered down to fit into the current society, rather than allowing our beliefs to influence the society around us. Our social climate is one which is fervently anti-Christian, and this has seeped into the church and its adherents. It’s as if we have lost sight of Jesus and are too focused on the earth. Our focus has been heavily geared towards our earthly lives, rather than our spiritual lives, and this in turn has made us lose track of what is important. Jesus praised Mariam for having her eyes focused solely on the spiritual and not the earthly. Martha was too consumed with the social elements. The dangers of concentrating on the social elements is that we may lose sight of what is truly important, as we have done now. A church community focused solely on Jesus is one which coincides with the spirituality and teachings of the church. It is one that is influential in its day, and one that attracts believers with its truth and its beauty. If we are solely concerned with Jesus, then the earthly aspects will become imbedded within the spiritual. This way, believers might be steadfast with the church, because their priority is with Jesus.
Meditation on the gospel of Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus
Light and darkness
In this gospel passage, we witness the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus; who was probably a member of the Jewish court at the time (thus was among people unbelieving of Jesus’ testimony), approaches Jesus “by night”. The motif of light and darkness is littered throughout the passage. Nicodemus’ approach is highlighted in this way to link the response that Jesus makes towards the end of the passage. Firstly, Jesus exclaims that we ought to be “born again of the spirit” in order to receive eternal life. In other words, Jesus claims that we must be witness to the testimony of Jesus through spirit and mind in order to reap the rewards waiting for us. Towards the end of the passage, Jesus claims that “everyone who does evil hates the light”, and does not wish to expose themselves in the light. This is the link back to Nicodemus’ initial approach that the gospel wishes to highlight. By approaching Jesus at night, Nicodemus illustrates that he fears persecution from those around him, those that do not believe in Jesus’ testimony. He is thus witness to darkness. Jesus wishes to highlight that we must strive away from darkness, and steer towards light, light which resembles truth, light which resembles openness, light which resembles Christ’s testimony, and light which resembles Christ Himself.
Saint Anthony the Great – Where God Becomes Enough
Saint Anthony the Great was so deeply moved at the age of twenty by the Gospel words, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor” (Mk 10:21), that he freely gave away his inheritance to follow Christ. His life teaches us that possessions themselves are not dangerous—attachment is. Entering the desert, Anthony chose a place of truth rather than comfort, where illusions were stripped away: no applause, no distractions, no false identity.
There he confronted the real spiritual battles—pride disguised as success, fear disguised as caution, and noise disguised as productivity—struggles that remain just as real today. Though he founded no formal rule, Anthony became a true father, forming hearts rather than institutions. His spiritual fatherhood, marked by prayer, compassion, and a willingness to carry the wounds of others. This spirit deeply shaped Maronite monasticism, which inherited obedience rooted in love, authority that heals rather than controls, and community born from relationship.
For Maronite monks today, the “desert” may be silence in a noisy world, fidelity in an unstable culture, or prayer lived faithfully. Anthony’s desert still echoes in the Lebanese mountains, where monastic life continues to draw people not to theories, but to healing, guidance, and a living encounter with God.