December 24 & 25, 2011 Cycle B
Isaiah 9:1-6 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14
A Pentecostal friend of mine tells the story of leaving Church one Christmas morning as the pastor stood at the front door. He was greeting everybody and shaking their hands. Then he grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside. The pastor said to him, “You need to join the army of the Lord!” To which my friend replied, “I’m already in the army of the Lord, pastor.” The pastor looked amazed and said, “How come I don’t see you here at Church then, except at Christmas and Easter?” My friend whispered back, “Because I’m in the Secret Service.”
If you’re like my friend and find yourself in the “Secret Service” you’re in good company at Christmas time. The first hearers of the Christmas story were not into Church going either. Shepherds in the First Century Palestine had to watch their flocks around the clock for fear of thieves and wolves. And this did not leave much time for temple attendance. They prayed where they were, as they were. These shepherds, however, were in the right place at the right time to hear the first Christmas message. Maybe they had the right disposition too.
In these past weeks of preparation for this beautiful time, we’ve heard many songs to help us get in the mood. One such song has the words, “For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute, candles in the window, candles at the spinet. Yes, we need a little Christmas, right this very minute, need a little Christmas now!” There’s nothing wrong with needing a little Christmas, that’s what so many are searching for and they have been doing these past weeks of expedition through the shopping malls and on cyber space, exploring, looking for the perfect gift, their expression of love, or at least of a very high regard. Of course what we really have come today to do is to celebrate the gift that Jesus has come among us. And that my friends is to call us to be a people who have found through our preparation time the restoration of hope, peace, joy and love – all of which we can celebrate with a renewed fervor this night/day.
But nonetheless, for many today our world seems starved of stars. In these past months, as we have watched or participated in rituals of mourning for acts of natural disasters, or terrorism, or tragedies of road deaths, or other dark events. At these times we’ve experienced the ritual of lighting a candle, a small piece of self-consuming wax and flame that tell us that light has more right to exist in our world then even darkness.
On this Christmas Eve/Day, we come to become disciples of the Light of the world, to catch fire from Christ’s mystery, and bring something of that fire and light into our own lives and especially into the lives for those whom Christmas may not be a feast of joy.
The fire we catch from Christ, our readiness to be consumed like Christ in the flame of loving service of one another, may be a simple gift as a visit, a phone call, an invitation to a meal, a present left at the parish “Giving Tree.” But it will mean that we will be celebrating something of a “happy day” for all who needs a little Christmas now.
My friends, today we gather to listen to the chorus of the messenger of peace. We lend our voices with the Prophets of old to say that the glad good news of peace has come among us despite our afflictions, despite our hardships in our time, where we have found difficulty. The opening words of the messenger teaches us to “Be not afraid.” St. Paul would teach us that love drives out all fear, and that’s who we really should celebrate this Christmas. Love taken human form in Jesus Christ the Lord.
Today we remember the birthday of a man whose life, death and resurrection, showed us the way out of our fears, revealing the truth that sets us free and gives us a life that we can live to the full in this world and in the next.
Christmas is the feast when God calls us to be as active as we can be in bringing His Kingdom to bear in our world. Christmas is the feast when all Christian relationships are defined by the dignity, trust, and respect that they bestow on us and on those we relate too. As a result of the baby in Bethlehem God has shown us that fear is not our calling and that the saving love of Jesus impels us to take risks in how we live out our faith, hope and love. We have prayed fervently for these past four weeks “Restore us, O Lord. Restore a new sense of hopefulness and peace. Bring joy to the human heart by the light of Christ that shines forth in new love this very day.”
For again we proclaim “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you Good News of great joy; to you is born this day a Savior who is Messiah and Lord.” A blessed Christmas to all.
Amen. Amen. Msgr. Tom Adrians, Pastor Christ the King