The ‘most special baby’ is our light that conquers the darkness

During Advent, we waited and prepared our homes and our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Each week, we added more light to the darkness as we lit another candle on our Advent wreaths. Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the light of our world and source of all hope.

One day, when our middle son and I were walking home from school, he excitedly told me, “Mama! You know what? A really long time ago Mary was pregnant with a baby. The most special baby. That baby was Jesus!”

There was such beauty in his simple, yet profound, understanding of Jesus. A year later, I can still remember the excitement that radiated throughout his whole body as he continued to tell me about the baby Jesus.

Trying to wrap our heads around Jesus’ humanity and divinity isn’t always easy, but our son’s amazing teachers made this complex concept easier for him to understand.

The most special baby.

As I reflect on these words, it deepens my understanding of Jesus’ humanity as I remember he entered this world in the same way we did – as a baby. Jesus could have entered humanity in any way, but God chose to have Jesus enter the world like us. Mary patiently and lovingly cared for Jesus in her womb until his birth, just as our mothers (or birth mothers) did.

My son’s words reminded me of a moment our parish priest, Oblate Father Tony Rigoli, gave a homily on three candles – faith, love and hope that helped me better understand Jesus’ divinity.

I don’t remember all of the details of the story, but along the way the candles of faith and love are blown out. At the end, he begs, “Please! Please don’t let the candle of hope be blown out, without it there will be no light!”

Because of God’s greatest gift to us – the most special baby – that candle of hope cannot be blown out. John’s Gospel tells us today: “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5,9).

No matter what hardships we may face or have already faced during our lives, because of the most special baby, we have hope. Isaiah reminds us of this promise of hope: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests” (Isaiah 9:1, 5a).

Because of Jesus, the most special baby, we do not walk in darkness, we do not walk in this world hopeless.

Today, let us celebrate the most special baby, the baby who brought light into our dark world, the baby who is the source of our hope. And, on the days that our world feels especially dark, on the days that we begin to feel hopeless, let us remember the most special baby and thank God for the gift of Jesus.

Charlotte Phillips lives in New Orleans with her husband, Kevin, and their four young children. Professionally, she is the pastoral operations director for Becky Eldredge. She has a bachelor’s degree in theology and a master’s of pastoral studies from Spring Hill College. Charlotte enjoys Ignatian Spirituality, reading, listening to live music and bike riding with her family.