The Bells of St. Mary's and It's a Wonderful Life are two of the great classic films to watch around Christmastime. Released in back-to-back years, The Bells of St. Mary's in 1945 and It’s a Wonderful Life in 1946, these films have the power to evoke the hopeful outlook on life that the birth of Jesus Christ should inspire in us all.
The actor Henry Travers features prominently in both films. In The Bells of St. Marys, Travers plays Mr. Bogardus, a wealthy man told by his doctor that doing good deeds can improve his health. This sends him on a spree of generosity that results in his donation of a new building for a school run by Sister Benedict, played by Ingrid Bergman, and overseen by Father O'Malley, played by Bing Crosby.
In It's a Wonderful Life, Travers plays the guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, who rescues George Bailey, played by James Stewart, from jumping to his death from a bridge into a frigid stream while in a state of despair. Of course, Clarence does this by jumping into the stream himself, prompting the good-hearted George to abandon his own concerns and jump in to save him.
A delightful take on the workings of grace in the world links both above-mentioned plot points in these Christmas classics. In The Bells of St. Mary's, it seems entirely improbable that Mr. Bogardus will just give his building to Sister Benedict for her school. He's a businessman wanting to make a profit on his endeavors, and that is most certainly understandable and expected. But a more important imperative presents itself, and he begins to see how his own well-being is intricately connected to his treatment of others.
This may seem like an oversimplified turn of events resulting in a satisfying conclusion, but it reveals a profound truth about the way God speaks to our hearts through the needs of those around us. It's a Wonderful Life reflects this same reality in that George Bailey turns from his destructive impulse on the bridge to respond to another's need. Clarence knew he would do this because he's George's guardian angel and understands what a good heart he has. Clarence only needed to awaken George to a need beyond his own concern to get him to act for the greater good.
It's inspiring to watch films like these at Christmastime because they remind us of the reality of God's loving hand at work in the world, guiding us towards the right decisions so that we look beyond our own desires to the needs of others. This is the message at the heart of the Nativity. There was so much selflessness involved in that moment. We have Mary's "yes" to God despite the challenges it would bring to her life. We have God's gift of His only Son to redeem the world, and we have the submission of Christ to the will of the Father from the moment of His birth to His death on the cross.
The Incarnation happened precisely because of our need for a redeemer, and we must reverence the Infant Christ during this time of year to awaken ourselves to this tremendous gift and prepare ourselves to answer God's call to move beyond our own cares and concerns to attend to the needs of others. When we do this, we respond to the deepest mystery of our faith, a mystery that points to the saving power of Christ through His perfectly selfless love.
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle"
column by Father Ed Dougherty, M.M., The Christophers' Board of Directors ; it is one of a series of
weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current
events.
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