Christmas 2003
Enliven the Hope of our own Liberation
Joseph and Mary, destined to carry the divine Liberator into this world
Journeyed faithfully into their own land of Bethlehem,
They came in obedience to the laws of the Ruler, but the Ruler had no place for them.
Joseph and Mary moved into the loneliness and darkness of the night
They hopefully knocked at many doors, only few would open
But even they, their hearts being closed, spurned them away.
God came to man, but man’s heart was not open for Him.
Joseph and Mary came to be numbered as citizens in their homeland.
But the Powerful of the land had no place for them.
There was no place for them in their Inn.
They were left out and not counted as citizens in Caesar’s Constitution.
Patience and Perseverance brought them to a Crib
Devoid of all comforts and human surroundings
Mary brought forth the Babe of Liberation in the manger set up by Joseph.
Shepherds knelt and Angels sang : Peace to all men of good will!
The time of our Liberation is not yet at hand.
We are still on our long journey to freedom.
We too believed in the goodness and fairness of the Emperor and his Constitution.
We too obeyed the laws and hoped for our share of justice and freedom.
We knocked at the doors of democracy and human rights.
We begged and prayed, the Mighty of the day but they preferred to use force on us
We appealed to the Powerful but they preferred to help our oppressors.
We appealed to Reason and Morality, but of no avail –
The rights we seek are God-given Rights, to be a people on our land of birth.
But they have been codified and commanded only by the Mighty of this world.
The needs which we suffer are basic human needs, of food, clothing and shelter.
But these too are still used as weapons to subjugate us.
Like Joseph and Mary the carriers of Hope and Liberation
We too will walk and we too will knock
The Tamil womb, we are convinced, is the womb of Justice and Truth
And the God of Liberation will be born out of this womb.
May the patience of Mary and the Perseverance of Joseph bring us Liberation
Our waiting is neither an act of meekness nor a gathering of ferocity
But an enliven Hope, that sooner than later, Truth will emerge,
Justice will be done and Peace will reign.
Wishing you and your dear ones at home and abroad
New Inspiration and Strength to walk ahead
Father S. J. Emmanuel, Germany, 21.12.2003
originally published December 28, 2003