Christmas Day Homily

If you were to poll the people prior to coming to Mass on Christmas about what Gospel they would hear that day I am sure that the vast majority would point towards one of the infancy narratives that are found in Matthew or Luke. These are after all the stories that we are most comfortable with because we have fashioned Christmas plays and even the manger scene after them. These Gospel accounts have given us a glimpse into the journey that Mary made with her child and the joy that was brought into the world through His birth. Today we instead hear from the Gospel of Saint John where we are told that "the word became flesh and dwelt among us." This one verse of Sacred Scripture tells us about the profound event that we celebrate on this Christmas Day. When we glance at the manger we see the infant Jesus who lays inside of the crib. I believe we often realize the importance that birth plays in the life of Christ as a child, but fail to truly ponder upon the reality that Christ is both fully divine and fully human.

When the word became flesh we end up having a great tension that is taking place. We should ask ourselves how it is possible that God would take on human flesh and come to the world to dwell with each of us. In this event we should wonder how the mighty creator of the universe ,who is God, is able to join in our own frailty by taking on human suffering. We know that the angels were created prior to humanity and thus find themselves to be close to God in creation. If that were true, then why would God want to come into such a frail existence. The angels pondered this question because some of them found this news to be so surprising that they turned away from God. Through their own choice they desired to fall away from God and thus fall into the darkness of despair. They followed after their own path of pride instead of realizing the great love that is being brought into the world through Christ's birth. On this day may we see the love that God brings into our lives through this event.

In the event of Christ's birth we are having a great expression of love that is being brought into our lives that in time will see its completion upon the wood of the cross. But for now Christ lays comfortable on the wood of the crib as Saints Joseph and Mary look on with great joy. It is through this great event of God's love brought into the world that all flock around this manger. It is through this event that we come here this day desiring to enter more and more into God's divine love. From our letter from Hebrews we know that the divine love of God was shown to each of our ancestors and continues to be shown to us. From the fall of humanity the glimmer of God's love still shined despite Adam and Eve's sin. This is the same unchanging God who came before Moses and Abraham who now comes before us as the Christ child. With the coming of the Christ child all knees bend to the great king who dwells here with us because through this action the love that all the prophets were pointing towards could finally be fulfilled.

The fulfillment of Sacred Scripture was made manifest through this miraculous birth. In this miraculous birth, God who has no form took on the form of humanity by taking on human flesh. In this great offering of love new life has been brought into each of our lives. From the darkness that is found within sin we are given the hope of new life. The light of Christ shines upon each of us during this Christmas morning desiring to bring this profound message of love into our lives. We participate today in an event which is historical and yet transcends history. We still celebrate and relive the great moment when "the word became flesh." On this dark night the light of God shun forth through this child. As we continue our search for truth and hope from within our world we must go to Christ to allow Him to bring light into our darkest moments. This will be the greatest hope that we have because without "the word becoming flesh" God would always remain at a distance instead of sharing in our very humanity.

On this Christmas Day may we take the time out of our busy schedules to ponder what our lives would be like if Christ was never born of the virgin. Without this miraculous birth God would always have remained at a distance, but luckily God came to dwell with us. May we use our time to continue to dwell with God and to allow God to bring the light of hope into our lives. We must remember that God became flesh in order to save all men and women from their enslavement. No matter how we find ourselves enslaved may we look to Christ's Nativity to see a glimmer of hope. A glimmer of hope always shines forth from this crib of the manger because it was here that God had come into the world to dwell with us. If we mourn the loss of a loved one hope can still be found at the bedside of this manger because God desires to be with us. If we fear this upcoming year and what it will bring into our lives may we allow Christ to lead us forth on our journey as He went forth from that manger into the world. No matter what pain, joy, and fear that we may feel may we trust in faith that God took flesh and dwelt among us out of love.

This same love that was felt on the night of the Nativity is continued to be felt in the sacraments of the Church. On the night of the last supper Christ took bread in His Hands and looking to Heaven said "this is my Body." At that moment Christ came to dwell inside of the Holy Eucharist out of love because through this act He desired to continue to dwell with each of us. At this Mass, on this most Holy Night, we rejoice at the word made flesh and the reality that Christ continues to dwell among us through His Flesh and Blood that is found in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. We give praise and honor this day at the fact that "For us men and our salvation he came down from Heaven and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man." On most Sundays we bow following this statement that "he became man," but today we kneel in awe at this statement of love where God came to dwell with us!