By Sandy Fitzgerald   From Newsmax

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These are dark times, and the world needs a “little Christmas, right this very moment, now more than ever,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York said Saturday in a special holiday message on Newsmax.

“There’s a lot of bad news out there,” the cardinal said on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda.”

“There’s a lot of darkness, but actually, that’s kind of part of the season. All this stuff stacks up all this dark stuff, this sinful stuff, this horrible stuff stacks up and lets us know something’s wrong. Something ain’t working. There’s somebody missing in our lives. And that, of course, is the law.”

But Christmas is a reminder that “we are not alone,” as “God is with us,” said Dolan.

“We need a savior,” he said. “There are certain things from which we cannot save ourselves.”

But Christmas, Dolan said, “Says ‘listen up, folks. Here’s the glad tidings … you’ve got one and he’s that little baby in the crib at Bethlehem.'”

In some ways, he continued, Christmas is at this time of year “because it’s the darkest time.” 

“I just heard the weatherman this morning say we have 16 seconds more light today than we had yesterday as the sun’s going up higher in the sky,” said Dolan. “What we say is Jesus Christ is the light of the world.”

And even back at the first Christmas, “when that star breaks in with radiant light and hope, that’s what it’s all about.”

However, people sense that “something’s missing” in their lives, but God’s message is to put him first in one’s life, said Dolan. 

The church is best, he added, when it tends to the spirit. 

“There’s a lot of practical implications when it comes to helping the poor when it comes to taking care of the sick … but let’s put things first,” said Dolan. “As Jesus said, put the Kingdom of God first, and everything else will work out. That’s where the church is best. That’s called evangelization, and we’ve got to do it on steroids because the world sure needs it.”

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has faced some divisions this week after Pope Francis’ document allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, and Dolan said he also is somewhat confused. 

However, he said the Pope’s document was really about the nature of blessings, not gay marriage, and blessings are “good for Christmas.”

“When that angel appeared to the shepherds, the Angel said, ‘Hey, look, blessings and good tidings to everybody,'” said Dolan. “The angel didn’t say ‘except those of you who are sinners, except those of you who are unclean, except for those of you who are on the outs with God.’ [It was] peace on Earth, goodwill to all.”

The Pope’s message, he added, wasn’t a “ringing defense of the very nature of marriage,” but instead served to remind people they are still embraced and that the church is ready to offer mercy.

“The other day I was walking down the street and I was passing a tavern,” Dolan said. “A man came out and he says to me ‘Hey, Father, would you give me a blessing?'” said Dolan. “I said, ‘Of course, I’ll give you a blessing.’ I wasn’t blessing him being drunk coming out of a tavern. I was kind of blessing him, saying, ‘Hey, God loves you. He’s going to give you some protection, which you very much need, and by the way, he’s kind of calling you to conversion of heart and reform.'”

And that, Dolan said, is the “nature of a blessing.”

“If we understand it that way, which is what I’m reckoning to do, maybe some of that confusion dissipates a bit,” he concluded.

Sandy Fitzgerald | [email protected]

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

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