December 24 Christmas Homily 2009
The great feast of the Birth of our Lord is a day for joy, happiness and remembering. There is one part of Christmas however, that is not very fun, and that is putting together some of the many gifts we receive. The phrase on any package that sends shivers down our spines is “Some assembly required.” That usually means getting out the tool box, finding some batteries and then following the directions. There are some of us, though, who though we found the directions, decide to “eyeball” the whole thing. While sometimes we do get it right, most of the time, we leave out things, put parts together that were not supposed to go together, put things together backwards, or simply get fed up and take a hammer to it, which is never a good thing. Then we finally search out the directions, look at the pictures on the box, or call tech support to finish the project.
From the beginning of time, God has known we have trouble following directions. When God created us, there are parts of ourselves that needed to be put together. The assembly included learning right from wrong, good from evil, service from being served. It also included learning how to love God and others, and to be loved by God and others. We were given the plan for everlasting happiness, follow God and do his will. He has given us Moses, the Law and the prophets to help us figure out how to stay close to him and to be happy. As we see in the Old Testament, the Israelites had trouble following directions and instead chose many times to “eyeball” life rather than listen to God who is life. God the Father saw that we need more than a set of directions or rules to stay close to him, so he sends us his own Son. God has chosen to fulfill his divine plan by sending us someone we could watch, observe, hear and follow. It is going to take more than a set of directions to get us to heaven; it is going to take someone who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Son of God came into this world as a little baby this day, born of his Mother Mary, poor, cold, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger. The presence of a child helps people shape their minds, hearts and actions. Parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles learn selflessness, sacrifice and commitment to help the little persons be as happy as they can be. Children show us the meaning of happiness. One of the great things about babies is their laugh. Their little eyes brighten up and they giggle. That simple little action melts hearts.
God has seen enough of human tears, so now he sends us his Son so that he can hear the human race laugh again. Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary to teach us how to laugh, be joyful, forgive, show mercy and compassion again. He does it first by his neediness as a new born child. After Jesus grows in wisdom, age and grace, he will continue to teach us through his preaching of the Kingdom, and he will ultimately show us by his death on the cross and resurrection.
Of all the things Jesus gives us this Holy Day, the most important Gift is his love. Life is a school of love and while we have directions such as the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes, what we really need is someone we can model. We need help to learn how to love. And God the Son has become a little child in order to do just that: by looking to the needs of others before ourselves, by helping the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the isolated. We know that the best gift we can receive from another is not material, but rather a smile, a hug, or even a simple thank you.
We often see the infant Jesus in the manger with his arms outstretched, urging us to pick him up, hold him close, kiss him and love him. This simple action has great meaning: if we love Christ and build our lives around him, he will teach us that we are not alone. We need someone to love and someone to love us. God does not just show us how to love, he loves us first! He loves us completely. Why else would his Son take on our human nature. God’s love opens up doors. It does not close them. He loves in us, through us and in that simple action he makes life truly worthwhile.
Through the birth of Jesus Christ, God has now shown us love. We can now see in Jesus Christ, God with a human face, a human smile, a human heart. We can feel the embrace of Christ through our daily prayer. We also meet this personal, incarnate love every time we receive his Body and Blood at Mass. Jesus Christ is the best Gift God has ever given to the human race because he gives us himself. He came to us with no assembly required. We do not need to fear him or life itself. All we need to do is love him, follow him, serve him and allow him to truly love us and shape us into the true images of him that he created us to be.
