"The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us... To all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God."

Last week I went to the 40th birthday party of a good friend of mine called Obu. It was wonderful celebration. There were many good people there - many old friends who had not seen each other for a very long time. But for me, the best moment was when Obu's four-year old son came in, carrying his father's birthday cake. And after Obu had blown out the candles and cut the cake, people shouted out "speech", "speech". I don't know if they really meant it, but they certainly got it.

Obu is usually a rather gentle, shy and retiring Nigerian man. But today he had something to say. He began by thanking us all for being there. Each of us had been chosen to come because we had each been important at one time or another in his journey towards this point in his life. He said that, having himself come from a broken home, he had wanted all his life more than anything else to have a family. He felt that was God's will for him - that was what God had created him and called him to be.

And now, he stood with his wife by his side and his four-year old son playing at his feet, and his life felt complete - not over, but fulfilled. He said, if the Lord chose to call him home on this very day, then he would feel that he had lived well. There are not many in men who can say that at any time in their lives; certainly not many who can say it on their 40th birthday.

 That moment was what, this year, really made my Christmas. To know that you have lived well is one sign - only one, but an important one, of the Christian life well lived. The truth of the Christian celebration of Christmas is not just what we usually think of as the mystery of Christmas - that the world was made flesh - that God was once made man a long time ago; nor even the mystery of Easter - that he lived, died and rose again for our salvation; I think that what we as Christians truly celebrate throughout the year and not just at Christmas, is the mystery of Pentecost: that Jesus has sent upon his disciples, his Church, his people the Holy Spirit to live with us eternally. It is that Holy Spirit who takes over and transforms our lives and makes us the best people that we can be - that makes us the people God created us to be.

Let us stand and profess our Faith in the Presence of God in the World, in our hearts and in our lives.

Mount Street Jesuit Centre,
114 Mount Street,
London SW1K 3AH.
ENGLAND.
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