Christmas Homily – Gospel: Luke 2: 1-14 from Midnight Mass – Fr. Chris Heller
Even though Advent was a short season of not even 4 full weeks this year, there were times when I was impatient. I sang a song to myself, to keep myself going called “Soon & Very Soon.” You probably have heard the lyrics: “Soon & very soon, we are going to see the King;” “Soon & very soon, we are going to see the King;” “Soon & very soon, we are going to see the King: Alleluia, Alleluia, We are going to see the King.” As Roman Catholic Christians who’ve been waiting for this great feast of Christmas, “soon & very soon” is here: Merry Christmas to all!
Thursday, December 21, was the day with the shortest amount of daylight: by then, we’d reached peak darkness. And since then, we’ve been adding 1 to 1.5 minutes of daylight each day. As believers, of course, the INCREASE we are celebrating today is NOT the S-U-N, but the S-O-N, Emmanuel, God with us. Our King, the King of Kings, comes to conquer ALL the darknesses that threaten our wholeness, for our God wants us to be holy like His Son, Jesus Christ, Son of God & Son of Mary.
Christmas IS Good News: For anyone who’s ever been plagued by fears, worries, or anxieties that you’ve repeatedly tried to shed that just won’t go away, that’s the spark of the S-O-N light through the darkness that Jesus wants to generously spread in you! For Jesus Christ is wise, fearless, & courageous, as he shuts down evil’s darkness-power.
& Christmas is Good News for everyone: you know how vacations are described as “all-inclusive?” Well, Jesus is an all-inclusive Savior. See, you & I are in the middle, between heaven’s glorious angels & the lowly everyday shepherds. St. Luke wants us to know that even though the world around us is very often exclusive, Jesus includes even people who don’t yet know they need to be saved. And there’s another Christ-spark of light in the Gospel: what does it look and feel like? If you’ve ever felt rejected, or made to feel that you are unimportant, Jesus tells us we have royal blood in us through the Sacrament of Baptism, as our Priest, Prophet and King. Jesus ALSO says this because WE are ALSO connected to HIM through the Holy Communion, the Bread of Life & Heaven that we receive as The Body of Christ.
Our religious ancestors longed for peace: we are STILL longing for that peace in our time. &I believe with all my soul that Jesus has been working OVERTIME in world locations that are without peace. But I ALSO believe that it’s when we are OPEN to God’s definition of peace & shalom, & ready to SHED all the jealousy, hate, lying, & pretending that is going on INSIDE us, THAT’S when peace can take root. It’s then the teaching of someone holy like Mother St. Theresa of Calcutta comes true: that YOU can make Christmas happen EVERYDAY, when you let Jesus’ love flow through you to someone else. Like the teen who promises to try their best to practice patience at home with their family. Or the senior member who donates $5 in dimes to purchase a pair of sox for a needy person. Each of them becomes a “channel of Christ’s peace” as a believer in HIS peace-power.
You who carry Christ Jesus: share his sacred love in any way you see fit. & in making Christmas a good moment for someone else, you ALSO enrich YOUR union with Jesus. Let the Holy Communions we receive keep growing our Savior’s presence. On this Christmas Day: today is born our Savior: Christ the Lord is come: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
