Homily
(3): The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Mass during the Day Year ABC): Fr.
Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings:
Isa 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6 and John 1:1-18(Isa 62:1-3; Ps
89:4-5,16-17,27,29;Acts 13:16-17,22-25; Matt 1:-25[Vigil ], Isa 9:1-6; ps
96:1-3,11-13; Tit2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 [during the night], Isa 62:11-12;
97:1,6,11-12; Tit 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20(at Dawn]).
The Saving Light of
Christmas!
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ
in Bethlehem. It is one of the happiest
moments and days of our Christian lives. On this day, Christians all over the
world (Africa, America, Asia, Europe etc.), rejoice, celebrate, give, and be
given, consolidate the messages of hope and love heard during the past four
weeks of Advent. Today we celebrate the
gift of life over death, light over darkness, truth over lie, and grace over
sin.
Christmas
fulfils, in a way, those promises made to us by the Lord, through our ancestors,
patriarchs and matriarchs. Today fulfils in a sense, the covenant the Lord had
established with us: the promise of his abiding love, his unshakeable mercy,
his resolute kindness, his amazing grace, his surpassing generosity; his
faithfulness, his redeeming skills, his saving power in human history, from one
generation to another. These blessings reach their fullness in the incarnation
of the Word/Logos [God], becoming
flesh, and making his dwelling among us, carum
factum est (John1:14).
In the
Gospel, John’s prologue, which begins with, “in the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God” summarizes what we do today,
celebrating God’s saving presence in our lives, on this this Christmas day, the
birth of Christ. His birth has given us new life and a light for the world. John says, “What came to be through him was
life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Ordinarily
we know the opposite of light is darkness. We use light to do many positives things in our lives. We use light energy, electricity to cook, read and brighten our ways. We drive with it on foggy and cloudy roads or in the night. Even plants and crops need light for photosynthesis through which we have the green vegetables and lands. In fact, some cultures and families would still name their babies "light", "uwnana," or brightness. These are metaphors and symbols of good things. Therefore, we should not be surprise that John would use this metaphor to express the birth of Christ. John’s Gospel is full of symbols and metaphors
as we know.
In John darkness is a metaphor for evil things in this world: war, terrorism, illnesses, hostility, hatred, racism, and oppression of the poor, discrimination of all forms, anything we know that is sinful, forbidden by the church, and our faith traditions. Each of us, once in a while, do experience this darkness in different forms. It could be poverty, threats of ISIS/religious extremisms, Ebola, HIVS or any form of deadly disease. Light on the contrary, is a metaphor for many blessings in this life: love, peace, kindness, forgiveness, charity, unity and joy, prosperity, growth, good health of mind and body. These are what we pray for each day! And every generation have been hoping and longing for this Light.
In John darkness is a metaphor for evil things in this world: war, terrorism, illnesses, hostility, hatred, racism, and oppression of the poor, discrimination of all forms, anything we know that is sinful, forbidden by the church, and our faith traditions. Each of us, once in a while, do experience this darkness in different forms. It could be poverty, threats of ISIS/religious extremisms, Ebola, HIVS or any form of deadly disease. Light on the contrary, is a metaphor for many blessings in this life: love, peace, kindness, forgiveness, charity, unity and joy, prosperity, growth, good health of mind and body. These are what we pray for each day! And every generation have been hoping and longing for this Light.
Isaiah
in particular, spoke about this Light, “behold a virgin shall conceived and
give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). In the first reading, this Light is the
redeemer, the one who brings us glad tidings. He is the announcer of peace and
salvation in every generation, and the bearer of good news to all peoples (Isa 52:7-10). He is Christ our savior!
It does not end here. In his
ministry, soon after Christmas, love and compassion, especially to the poor, the marginalized and
those in prisons, would be his guiding principles (Luke 4). He would change water into wine (John 2),
women would be spoken to (John 4), and children would be invited with care. The
poor would be loved, the hungry would be fed. Sinners would be forgiven.
Zacchaeus would be visited. Lazarus would be raised from the death. Christ born
today would come to wash the feet of his disciples. He will lecture Pilate
on the meaning of truth and Mary Magdalene on the importance of
detachment.
How we
response to this entrance of Light into our world of darkness counts. His parents, Joseph and Mary reacted with love,
patience and great care, in spite of the threats of Pilates and those who opposes the Light. John the Baptist, his precursor responded with great humility. The angel broke
into a great song, “Glory to God in the Highest… peace to people of good will”,
which we began this Mass with. The remnant of Israel, the shepherds of
Bethlehem, Simeon and Hannah, all saw and received Christ as a gift, as the
saving Light of the world, as God’s revelation and presence in their midst, and
were exemplary in their lives to others.
In the same way we want, to receive this Light with joy, but not
restrict it to ourselves. We want to allow it shine and reflects in our homes,
in our neighborhood, churches, society, and wherever we are, in our thoughts,
words, and actions, in the gifts we share and through the witness we bear to
the Gospel.
