2005 was a particularly trying year for our planet, in terms of catastrophes. First there was the devastating tsunami in South-East Asia at the end of 2004, then there were earthquakes, landslides, torrential rains, floods, droughts, famines and countless tornadoes and hurricanes most likely a result of climactic changes which are the subject of many conversations today. Like nature which has been restless, human nature has not been calm either: suicide bombers, terrorist acts which have multiplied around the globe, even in the Western world, which we always believed to be secure and protected, as well as war and violence which continue here and there. Having seen death unfurl before us, almost daily on television, our faith seemed at first glance to be powerless in the face of horror which was all around us. Youth from our Diocese, like others around the world, reacted to these events by asking why God permits things such as political instability, terrorism, famine, pandemics of all kinds, increasing child poverty, even in our own country, contaminated water, abuses of power etc? "Where is God," they ask, "when more and more people around us are pushed to the fringes of society, unemployment, social assistance or the lifestyle of the homeless …?"

In the end, all this is a resurfacing of the universal question of suffering. When we are personally confronted with death, we must recognize that faith helps us to carry on, as the wise old Hindu commented after the tsunami tragedy, "I am not angry at my gods, and I continue to trust in them; if we are still alive, it is so that we can help the survivors to help themselves and to get on with their lives". What a lesson! If he has confidence in his gods, should we not have the same attitude toward our God, especially at Christmas? How can we not be dazzled by this story, despite the years: a star, a Child, a Word of hope in the dark, people too preoccupied to welcome the homeless couple Mary and Joseph, shepherd watchers, the first witnesses of the Mystery, seeker Kings … and seeing all this, we ourselves are surprised by such a different God.

So different that we believe Him to be far from us, even though He is very near, He is with us, He walks with us, He shows us new paths and brings us hope, which is so lacking in our world today. Our God is not always easy to follow, but He never stops surprising us. In the face of horrors and suffering, we might be tempted to follow the advice of our friends, like Job, allowing ourselves to be caught up in the whirlpool of our doubts, preoccupations and problems. It only takes one faith-filled glance to make sense of all this. God constantly offers us his friendship and invites us to walk with Him, as He has always walked at our side. This mutual companionship, this unique friendship between Him and us is not enough; we must accept it, tell Him so, and totally confide in Him, while remembering that He has placed before us walls and ramparts to protect us and that he is for us an everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:1-6). God never abandons His children, no matter where they are in their faith journey toward Him. He is always in our hearts, as in the Eucharist, if we are willing to receive Him. The Spirit of the Risen Christ confirms this conviction within us, as well as through others and by means of various life experiences.

During Christmastime, may we adopt God's way, by being different from those who would prefer to see us doubting like they do. Let us be transfigured by the Light which He is for each of us so that our hearts may become the very mangers where Love wants to be born again, in us and in our world. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

+Jean-Louis Plouffe
Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie

December 8, 2005

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