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.
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