Christmas Homily 2012

     "Once in Royal David's City" is hands down my most beloved Christmas Hymn. Aside from the beautiful music it is written to, the words provoke much contemplation about the mystery of Christmas and leaves the listener, or singer, helpless against the urge to wonder in awe. This Advent, I made it a personal 'theme' of mine in prayer and in my preaching to the parish a particular line from the hymn. It is the first line in particular from my favorite verse:

And our Eyes at last shall see him

Through His own redeeming love

For that Child so dear and gentle

Is Our Lord in Heaven above

And He leads his children on

To the place where He is gone

      Seeing. Isn't that what Advent was all about? Each of us has been preparing to gaze upon the face of the infant Jesus this night - the face of God, the face of Love. 

    
      What do we desire to gaze upon? What do we wish above all else that we could behold? In times of emptiness, loneliness, fear and insecurity, what do we desire to soothe us?

    

      In the darkness and stillness of this Holy Night, our eyes at last see what we need and hunger for. Born this night is the fulfillment of every human heart and desire. Because sinfulness has brought us un-fulfillment, alienation, a myriad of suffering and desolation to varying degrees, we need the presence of something whole, beautiful and true. 

     This night we behold that which was robbed from us in the egregious act of original sin: Life; life to the full and life that makes us full. It was at that first Christmas where we saw the shimmer of Love glistening upon the human heart. It was this Love made flesh that every human soul searched for for centuries. It was This infant, this innocent and vulnerable child, that was the answer to every question of doubt and anguish. It was His promise that we would find in Him everything. It is in the presence of this infant child that everything we need and desire is found!

     Is this idealistic or for the pious? No. He is for everyone, and everyone needs Him. This isn’t just some nice thing that Christians find comfort in or some formula to anesthetize us from the pains and unflattering truths of this world. Jesus is for everyone and everyone needs Him and His presence. The existence of pagan mythologies, plethora of world religions and every other attempt by man to search for and construct god and gods is proof that man, regardless of background, is universally craving this vision of God. For it is in this presence of the infant that we become whole again and find our true wholeness. 

     The infant Jesus, in his crying, cooing and cawing, contains in His entirety what every man, woman and child needs and longs for. He is the reason for great rejoicing this festive and hope-filled time of year. 

     His birth shows us that the Love of an other said yes to Life and allowed the baby to be born, bringing with Him Love to those He will be around. Life necessitates Love, and Love cannot help but bring Life. 

     What do we need to see? Love. What do we need? Life. With the events of this Holy Night, we see and we live! We sit in the manger beside the Holy Family, shepherds, angels and kings in silence just looking, watching, gazing upon the face of Love made flesh. 

     It is a great mystery, one that requires us each year to call to mind these events in a special way to remind us of what we were made for and what completes us. We live lives often drastically void of any semblance of the quiet manger scene and the serenity of the loving touch of Jesus. Let us take advantage of this season of Christmas to carry us forward and make us strong in our commitment to both Love and Life in our world, nation, home and hearts. 

     And our eyes at last shall see Him. We have come to Bethlehem, let us now look upon our Lord and let all other things melt away as we sit in awe and wonder of His presence. 

Palm Sunday: We have entered Jerusalem!

We have finally entered Jerusalem! We have spent this Lent in the desert, the wilderness, thirsting and pining for God. We have spent this Lent alone with our God.

Now we have joyfully entered Jerusalem waving palm branches in praise and happiness at the entrance of our God, Our King!

This week is Hoy Week. The holiest weeks of the year and nothing remotely compares to it's majesty.

This is the week where we enter Jerusalem waving palm branches in praise of Jesus, but it is also the same week where we will hit his body with reeds and whip him, shredding his flesh.

This is the week where we cry "Hosanna to the Son of David" "This is our King!"But, it is also the week where we will sentence our king to death for being our king! We will mockingly nail "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, to his cross.

This is the week where we lay down our clothes on the donkey and along the path of His entrance into Jerusalem, but also will strip Him naked in humiliation.

This is the week where we acclaim "Glory, Laud and Honor", but also the week where we shout and abuse HIm to the point of shame and leave Him with little dignity.

We have entered Jerusalem. We are holding palm branches in praise of our king, but we will by the end of the week be holding nails to affix Him to a tree.

We are not just remembering and recalling theses events, they are real and timeless. This is the holiest week of the year and a week that knows no boundaries of time or space. We are present with our Lord, our King, through it all. This week we walk with Him triumphantly into Jerusalem, but also walk with Him carrying His cross to the place of death.

May we fully enter into the liturgy, the prayer, the scripture and the intimacy of this week. May we bring our whole selves to this journey with Christ and come to know the events of this week as real and meaningful to our lives.