Thoughts on Christmas

I know that I'm a bit late in posting this, but may we always keep the spirit and joy of Christmas in our hearts!

Practice Homily for Christmas Day

A light shining in the darkness

The dark, cold night wore on, when suddenly a heavenly and angelic light burst forth and shone down on an amazing scene. To most, it was an ordinary and quiet night in the foothills of Bethlehem, but for the shepherds in the fields and those gathered around the tiny newborn child, lying here in the straw, there was an awareness that their lives and that of their children, would be changed forever.

As we gather here as a family to adore the Christ Child on this holy night, we come to encounter a God who defies all our expectations, one who jumped across the vast dark divide between creation and Creator that was opened by our ancestors' fall into sin, and took our humanity upon Himself to restore to us the ladder of light that leads to heaven.

Jesus laid down his life for us to free us from our chains. In every step of our earthly journey, God is with us. Like us, He too experienced suffering, joy, pain, sorrow, longing, and love. All of us today are the caretakers of these ancient mysteries. The story of our shared Christian Faith is a long line of countless souls, strong men and women, who, in the spirit, kneeled at the foot of the Christ Child, and realized that the most important point of all history, past, present, and future, was the act of our all-powerful God becoming human. What a shocking statement: that the immortal became mortal, for no other reason than out of sheer love for each and every one of us, without exception.

This is why Jesus' words are called the Good News, for, in Him, our Heavenly Father looks deep into our eyes and says, “You are my beloved son, You are my beloved daughter. I have done the impossible to save you, my cherished child, from the grip of the enemy. Do not fear, for I have rescued you and love you with a love beyond all measuring. I will never leave you or desert you. You came into existence through my love and, when your time has come to leave this earthly pilgrimage, I will call you back into this love. Your mission during this life is to share this precious gift with others.”

And what a gift it is! It is a gift so large and profound that even if we could give God all the riches, and all the resources of all the countries in the world, it wouldn't be enough. And yet, the gift continues to be given, not in vast, visible, and all powerful ways, but in smallness, in stillness, in simple gestures of love and thankfulness, in the spiritual graces that come from the sacraments and illuminate our hearts, and especially in the small white host of Holy Communion. When we look to the tabernacle upon the altar and see the red candle burning brightly, it is a reminder of Christ's divine life and light, which is present in the Eucharist. Truly, He is Emmanuel- “God with us.”

Indeed, He is forever with us, the Light of the World, the Wonder-Counselor, the Prince of Peace! We once walked in darkness, but you have brought us abundant joy and great rejoicing through the light of our Faith in you.

Truly this a most beautiful time of the year, but it can be one that is full of hectic activities, of the hustle and bustle of holy day preparations. Tonight, Christ urges us to spend some quiet moments resting in His arms, throwing all our cares and concerns at His feet. Visit Him often here in His house, where He waits for you in the Blessed Sacrament, and also in the innermost depths of your heart. Rejoice too in the special spirit that is in the air, one of joy and excitement.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you may find in the Lord, the answer to the deepest longings of your heart, that you may rejoice in the gift of family and friends, that you may be encouraged by the simple gifts of the Father's creation, and that you may share Christ's light with others now and always.

It is truly a special gift for me to see all of you here and a special greeting to all of our guests. Know that you are always most welcome here at our parish home. We look forward to seeing you again on Sunday. On behalf of all the parish priests and staff, a very Merry Christmas to you! May God bless us everyone.