Bringing God to the Godless

God never abandons His people. We celebrate this today, on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. It is Christmas, the day of the Incarnation, the day the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Cf. John 1:14). Let us rejoice and be glad in this Revelation, this loving gift from Our Father in Heaven. And let us respond by making the Word made flesh known to the world.

Blessed John Paul II, the founder and model of the New Evangelization, did this in many ways. He proclaimed the Truth throughout his pontificate, witnessing to Christ’s love and spreading It throughout the world. His mission to bring God to the Godless was not something that began during his papacy, though. This is something that he did throughout his whole life!

Take for example, a Christmas story from his time as auxiliary bishop of Krakow:

[John Paul II] had tenaciously and skillfully defended the rights of the workers of Nowa Huta to have a church in their new city, celebrating Christmas Midnight Mass in a freezing, open Nowa Huta field during the years in which the Polish communist regime refused a building permit. Then, on October 13, 1967, the authorities finally budged, and permission was given for construction (George Weigel, The End and the Beginning, 54).

The Communist regime in Poland attempted to keep the working town of Nowa Huta without religion and without God. Blessed John Paul II responded by bringing God’s Son to the people there, celebrating Christmas Mass with them year after year. Eventually the authorities budged, allowing the “Ark Church” to be built for the people of the town.

 God gave us His only Son so that we may come to know Him. This is what we celebrate this Christmas, and every day we live in Christ. Let us respond then, to this precious gift, by making God’s Son known to a Godless world.

A Blessed Christmas to you and your family, from the Blessed John Paul II Shrine!