Text of my Christmas homily...
Christmas
is always a great time of year for many of us. It is the apex of most of our
lives and of our year. It is the canvas on which most of our fondest memories
are painted upon. It is a time of warmth,
love, laughter, peace and joy. We come together as family and friends and
create memories and exchange gifts out of love. This truly is a great season
and holy day and it is my wish it is that for all of you.
But
we, as believers in the Good, True and Beautiful God, know there are richer
depths to Christmas that are in addition to family, friends, gifts and fun: Our
Savior was born! What’s amazing about this is that our Savior: The King of
Kings, Lord of Lords and The Prince of Peace came as an infant vulnerable to
everything.
The Infinite
One became a finite infant
He who
looks down on all Creation, now looks up at His mommy
He
whom everything belongs is born of poverty and homelessness
The
infant hand that squeezes the hand of His mother is the same hand that brought
creation into existence and the same hand by which Salvation will be won.
He who
is sung to, ministered and adored by myriads of angles and archangels is tended
to by a few simple shepherds from the field.
Our
Savior, Our God, Our All in All was a baby!
This
night we celebrate the simple, quiet, beautiful and mysterious birth of Jesus Christ,
God made man. We celebrate the fact that instead of coming with armies and
vengeance, he came in utter vulnerability with only coos and caws.
Instead
of coming bedecked in Jewels and Royal robes and garments, he was wrapped in
dirty rags.
Tonight
we celebrate that instead of death, wrath, war and fear marking the entrance of
our Savior into the World, He chose the complete opposite.
He
desired to show us that His relationship with us remained rooted in Love.
What
is a better image of Pure Love for us than the innocence, smile and touch of a
child in its mother’s arms?
This
defines our Savior: we should be moved to rejoicing!
We
give gifts, we come together and have fun, laugh, enjoy each other’s company
and feast ultimately because our Savior came in pure Love and we have nothing
to fear from Him.
We are
only called to Love God, our neighbors and ourselves with the love and
affection we would show a baby, a little child. That is the ultimate model of
Love, of Salvation, of our relationship with God and others and Christmas!
Have a
Merry Christmas
