Merry Christmas to all of you.
This night we rejoice for our Savior has been born. We rejoice for this is the birth of God who comes to us out of love in order to take on our human flesh and thus a great light now shines forth upon a world that has been cast into the darkness of sin and death.
Our Gospel instructs us that there was no room for them inside of the inn. As we rejoice at the Good News of our Savior's birth we cannot allow ourself to cast Christ off from our midst. Rather, we must be like the shepherds who came to humble themselves before the savior of the world who has been laid in the lowliness of a manger. We must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us and thus we must come to invite Him under our roof to come and dwell with us.
Our Gospel instructs that it was in the lowliness of a manger that our Lord was placed. This word "manger" comes from the Latin word "munducare" which means "to eat." Therefore, the manger is the place where animals come to eat. Thus manger is referring to a feeding trough made out of wood or stone which is filled with food for animals to come and to receive their sustenance.
With no room for them inside of the inn the birth of Jesus takes place and Mary laid Him in a manger. Tradition holds that the birth of Christ took place inside of a cave which in Bethlehem is a common place for animals to find their shelter. A manger would be placed inside of the cave in order that these animals could find their nourishment. Mary thus places her son inside of the manger in order that He may find comfort atop of the hay.
The manger serves as a spiritual symbol for us. It is a reminder of our need to come to Christ in order that we may receive our nourishment. We thus eat of the Eucharist. We thus allow ourself to be sustained by the Word of God. We must allow Jesus to be the one who feeds us.
The Shepherds and Wise Men came and they received their sustenance from their encounter with Christ. We too must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us.
We have been touched by the reality of sin and it is easy for us to desire to turn back to our old way of life. We cannot do this because Christ desires to be our food for this journey of faith which we now undergo.
The Shepherds and Wise Men left the manger changed for they came into an encounter with Christ. We too must be changed by our encounter with Jesus Christ. We are blessed for we encounter Him inside of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. He calls to us out that we may love Him more and more. Yet how does our world thank Him for His love?
We cannot reject the Eucharist by the way in which we order our life. We must instead order our life after the Eucharist for the Eucharist is the same Jesus Christ whose birth we come to celebrate this day. May we thus entrust ourself to the great mercy of God which brings light to the darkness of sin and flock towards the manger of our Blessed Lord in order that we may be sustained by His Sustenance.
