Too Good To Be False
by Fr. Horacio de la Costa, SJ
Christmas is when we celebrate the unexpected -- it is the festival of surprise.
This is the night when shepherds wake to the song of angels; when the earth has a star for a satellite; when wise men go on a fool's errand, bringing gifts to a Prince they have not seen in a country they do not know.
Night of all nights
This is the night when one small donkey bears on his back the weight of the world's desire, and an ox plays host to the Lord of the heaven. This is the night we are told to seek our king not in a palace but a stable; and although we have stood here, year after year, as our fathers before us, the wonder has not faded nor will it ever fade; the wonder of that moment when we push open the little door, and enter, and entering find in the arms of a Mother who is a Virgin, a Baby who is God.
The United Nations has designated 2004 as 'The International Year of the Rice' A spokesperson for the United Nations, Jacques Diouf, explained that ‘it is the staple food for more than half the world’s population … it is the key to the world’s food security.’ He further pointed out that as distinct from other major staple crops like wheat, which is mostly produced on mega-farms in the United States of America, Australia and Russia, more than 80 percent of the world’s rice is grown by small farmers.
