Mary and Joseph, the shepherds who hurried from their fields, the three Magi who went to meet the King Who was to be born… all were touched and attracted by the mystery of God made man. They all had an encounter with the Lord, albeit in different ways.
How great must have been the joy of the angels, knowing that their Lord was among men! How happy they must have been to be able to bring this Good News to their brothers on earth! It is an honour for them to serve their Father promptly.
We can see that the angels are deeply involved in God’s plan of salvation. Moreover, they are ready to come to the aid of human beings whenever the Lord asks them to do so, or when we ourselves call upon them.
In the Gospel, the Lord tells us that the angels rejoice over every sinner who is converted and returns home (cf. Lk 15:10).
How great must have been the joy of the angels when they knew that God had come down to humanity to raise up fallen man and restore to him all the dignity he had lost through sin!
For us human beings, it is a joy to know that those we love are well, that they are truly happy, that they are turning away from wrong ways and finding true peace. How much purer will this joy be for angelic beings who live in perfect harmony with God and carry the divine presence within them!
Angels rejoice; Heaven rejoices! Let this same joy be poured into the hearts of men, so that they may lift themselves from the burdens of this world and praise the birth of the Son of God with all the angels and saints.
There is no hopeless case, even if everything seems dark and hopeless. The God Who became man is always ready to communicate His divine life to man, if only he will accept the gift of His grace.
And the Lord always sends His messengers, the angels, so that all men may know that there is no greater gift that God could offer us than to come into this world Himself. He wants to put an end to man’s misery, and He came down to lift us up to Himself.
“Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name” (Phil 2:6-9).
If we find it difficult to rejoice, let us lift our eyes to heaven and see the joy of the angels, so that we may be inspired by it. Surely they are willing to share their joy with us, and it will even be a joy for them to do so. How can we be sad when our best friends are full of joy?
Rejoice: Christus est natus! Rejoice! Christ is born! Let joy and hope enter the hearts of men! His birth is reason enough!