O Little Town of Bethlehem

12-10-2023Pastor's LetterFr. John Bonavitacola

Dear Friends,

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)

When it comes to the Middle East, it is hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that religion and politics are intertwined. In our sometimes naivete or sometimes hubris, we think we can bring about a political solution without dealing with the religious dimension of the dynamic that is present in the Holy Land. In that regard, the religious and political authorities (Bethlehem is part of the West Bank that is under control of the Palestinian Authority) have cancelled the public celebration of Christmas, including the decorations and the processions that accompany the Feast (though the religious celebration will still go on).

This falls hard on the Palestinian Christians who live in Bethlehem and are the shop keepers and souvenir makers who rely on the tourists’ trade to survive.

If you recall when Yasir Arafat was head of the Palestinian Authority, he made sure that the Christmas festivities were held in Bethlehem and he himself attended the Midnight Mass at the Basilica of the Nativity as a sign that he was protecting the small Christian minority in Bethlehem and as a signal to the violent fanatics not to cause trouble. Strange how with today’s conditions, Arafat looks almost reasonable. History does produces unexpected ironies in its fires. Sadly, today the Christians in Bethlehem are caught up in this latest reiteration of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and are extremely vulnerable.

With that in mind, if we can’t go to the vendors in Bethlehem, we’ll bring them here. Sort of. Next weekend, my dear friend Ayman will be here with his hand-carved olive wood religious items all made by craftsmen in Bethlehem. The proceeds all go to support the Palestinian Christian families in the Bethlehem area. Ayman does this to help his fellow Christians who live under what are often brutal conditions and whose livelihood is frequently threatened. We have seen since the Iraq war, that the numbers of Christians in the Middle East in general have dropped to almost nothing. Sadly, these are the oldest Christian communities, and their roots go back to the Apostles. Take time to speak with Ayman and his workers and you will come away with a firsthand glimpse of what it is like to be a Christian in the place where Jesus was born.

As the hostages held by Hamas await their captivity to end, you can get an understanding of how the people of the Bible felt during their periods of captivity as well as what their waiting periods were like and why the message of hope was so important to keep them moving forward and not lose hope. Which is something for us to consider this Advent and Christmas time. Perhaps the best gift this year to give away is hope. All around you are people who are losing hope, sinking into depression, gripped by fear and uncertainty. Don’t overlook them this Christmas time but rather give them reasons to hope.

The prophecies of Israel’s prophets gave the Jews a vision of a better future. But they mostly gave hope. Hope that there would come a time when the injustices and violence of this world would be put to flight. That hope made the present moment pregnant with expectation and pushed the people beyond their fears and temptation to collapse in despair. For us, the Scriptures from the first few Advent Sundays remind us of the future God has planned for us as well. Like the Israelites of old, we Christians have our own distinctive hope in the Kingdom of Jesus that one day will come to full flower. That makes the present bearable.

There is hope for everyone.

Love, Fr. John B.