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Starstruck

This is a summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily delivered at St. Charles on December 25, 2004

"The Glory of the Lord shone around them."

THE CHRISTMAS STORY IS filled with references to light. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The dawn from on high has visited us. The light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

The star that led the Three Kings beckoned in the night. It is a strange irony that the light of Christmas comes in our longest winter nights.

Our world is beset by natural disaster, war and violence. We need this light of hope.

A Christmas message I received this week brought me that ray of Christmas joy. It came from the Dominican Republic where I had the privilege to serve with Sr. Beatrice. She runs a recovery center, The Inn of the Good Samaritan, where the campesinos from our sister parishes on the frontier with Haiti stay after surgery until they are fit to travel the long 6 hours back to the Dominican Republic//Haiti Border. She told about Milagros in her Christmas letter.

"Milagros had orthopedic surgery to turn his foot around. He has been the breadwinner for his family, returning home with whatever he earned by carrying water in a five gallon bucket on his head. Because his crippled leg was so much shorter than his normal leg, his trip from the river with the water was made by walking with one foot in the gutter and the other on the curb. He was paid 2 pesos a bucket-3 cents in US currency. When healed he will get a boot with a big lift and life will be a bit easier for him."

This was one point of light for me. Let us look around us and find our star. Let us share the light, for He came to be the Light of the world.

  or  2004 Homilies