Homily for the Nativity of the Lord Year B 2017-2018
Introduction
About two weeks ago, I watched a YouTube video by Mayim Bialik, the actress who plays Amy on the TV show The Bing Bang Theory. Being Jewish herself, she tried to explain Hanukkah to us Gentiles. If you were to make such a video explaining "What is Christmas?" What would you say?
- For some, Christmas is the birthday of a little cute baby called Jesus!
- For others, Christmas is a time to receive gifts from Santa!
- For most of us, Christmas is as good an excuse as any to have a party.
But surely, Christmas means much more than these things.
Scripture and Theology
Even the variety of ways in which the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell the Christmas story suggests that Christmas is a complex reality.
Mark, for example, says nothing about the birth of Jesus but instead begins his gospel with the public ministry of Jesus. His gospel is like a biography of Abraham Lincoln that tells us only about his political life saying nothing about his birth and childhood. Mark writes in this way, perhaps to focus on the important stuff: the teaching of Jesus, his suffering, death and resurrection. For him, the birth of Jesus was only a prelude to the real action of Good Friday and Easter.
John also does not tell the story of the Jesus' birth, but begins his gospel with a dense theological essay about the coming of Jesus. We can compare John’s coverage of Christmas, not to the front page news story, but to the editorial that gives a commentary. While John does not tell us the beautiful stories about the angels, the shepherds and baby in the manger, he tells us what these stories mean. He focuses on the fact that God in his Son, has come into the world and by becoming a human being, has united heaven and earth. Jesus would do this by his word and example, but especially by giving his life on the cross.
Matthew is the most thorough of the four gospels. He tells us the story of Jesus’ birth in quite some detail, but he does so with some sadness and foreboding. Matthew is like the novelist who suggests the main theme at the beginning of the book and then develops it throughout the novel. Like Mark, for Matthew the birth of Jesus is an introduction to the main story, which is, his death and resurrection. Matthew even hints at Jesus' death in the Christmas story when he writes about the hostility of Herod, the indifference of the Jews, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents and the flight of the holy family into Egypt.
Finally, it is Luke’s gospel that highlights the joyful aspects of the birth of Jesus. Think of Luke’s gospel as the feel-good feature story of a newspaper. Luke tells us about “the sky being lit up, an angel of God appearing to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus and a multitude of heavenly hosts singing God’s praise” like we do in the Gloria. Luke also “speaks of tidings of great joy, nothing to fear, peace on earth, and especially the good news that a Saviour has been born, one who is both Messiah and Lord.”
And so, given all these different ways of telling the Christmas story it should be clear that the meaning of Christmas is much more profound than a simple birthday party for baby Jesus. Christmas is the Good News, that the Saviour of the world was born, one who would save the world by dying on the Cross.
You may not be aware, but the word Christmas, comes from the Phrase "Christ's Mass." That is why attending Mass like you are doing today is a vital part of what Christmas means. As the memorial acclamation says, we proclaim the death of the Lord and profess his resurrection, until he comes again!
Christian Life
If Christmas has such a grave meaning, what then are we to make of our festive Christmas traditions? By all means we must continue to have them. For in these very traditions, in these Christmas signs and symbols, we can find that profound meaning of Christmas, as long as Christ remains front and centre of Christmas.
- For example, Christmas tree, an ever green-tree should be for us a symbol of the everlasting life that Jesus was born to bring us, the Christmas lights and decorations the light that Christ’s birth brings into this dark world, and will enjoy fully in heaven.
- Even the giving of Christmas cards and Christmas gifts can remind us of why Jesus was born into this world. Yes, writing Christmas cards can be tedious and especially younger people would rather use Twitter, messaging and email. Yes, shopping for Christmas gifts can be a nightmare, especially for the older people that have dozens of nephews, nieces and grandchildren, not to forget your favourite priests. But giving and receiving Christmas cards and gifts reminds us of self-giving love of God, who sends his Son to the world to become one like us. While we cannot give our lives completely as Jesus did, when we give to others, starting with our family and friends, but extending our generosity to all those in need, we are living out the meaning of Christmas.
- Even Christmas dinner can point us to the meaning of Christmas. How appropriate it is that Christmas is time for families and friends to come together for dinner and conversation, and thus continue to build the love and unity that Christ came to bring into the world. Even in Uganda Christmas is a time for people to come together. Those who live in the city usually return at Christmas to the villages of their birth to visit family. And when they get there, the whole village celebrates Christmas. And it is not just Catholics and Protestants who celebrate, but Muslims, Hindus and non-believers alike. Although they don't believe in Jesus, they rejoice with us who do.
Christmas must continue to do this, to bring peace, reconciliation and communion in our current times of war, hostility and disunity. You may have heard of the famous Christmas truce during the First World War. According to the account of the soldiers who were there, on Christmas Day in 1914, German and English soldiers stopped fighting for a while and crossed into no-man’s land, to wish each other Merry Christmas, sing Christmas carols and exchange cigarettes. They took photographs with each other, played soccer and used the occasion to bury their dead in joint funeral services. For a little while, these men realized the true meaning of Christmas – that Jesus was born into this world, to bring peace on earth among men, to break differences among us.
As Pope Francis reminded us in his Christmas message of today, it is very sad that the land of Jesus' birth, and the Holy City of Jerusalem continue to be mired in religious conflict today. The peace on earth promised by the angels seems to be eluding us. But there are signs of hope. Children's Hospital in cooperation with the Heart Gift Foundation last year they brought over a little girl from Kenya called Qamar, for life-saving heart surgery that should could not get in her country. That little Qamar is Muslim did not matter. And so, she was operated upon by a Jewish surgeon, nursed, cared for and hosted by Louisiana Christian nurses and families. Because a little's girl's heart needed to be mended, Jews, Muslims and Christians, put aside their differences to mend her. That my friends is the meaning of Christmas, peace on earth to all people of good will.
Conclusion
And so we return to the question I was inspired to ask, when I saw my new friend Mayim explain her Jewish faith so well:
What does Christmas mean to me?
For me, Christmas is the birth of someone, Jesus, whose only reason for being born, was to reconcile us with God and one another, by teaching us how to live, but especially by giving his life on the Cross and rising on the third day. May Christmas inspire us to bring Jesus Christ back to the centre of our lives.
