December 25, 2016

Christmas A Isaiah 52: 7-10; Hebrews 1: 1-6; John 1: 1-18 We have one of those rare years when Christmas Day is celebrated on Sunday. You come to the computer to read this blog, probably many hours or days after today’s feast showing God’s total committed love for each of us. Depending on which liturgy you attended on Christmas, you noticed that there were four different gospel readings. John’s Gospel is the only one used in the Mass of the Day. If you get a chance to look at the official ecumenical readings for Christmas, you will see that This Gospel of John is the only one used by all denominations. This is certainly another reason to see the importance of this passage. In John’s Gospel, the author does not mention familiar nativity participants like angels and stars, or a stable and a manger or the vicious Herod or the shepherds or magi or sheep and other animals that we have in our manger scene. John doesn’t start the scene in Bethlehem or Nazareth but in Heaven. WHY? John’s goal is to make us aware of our salvation that was eternally promised by God. So salvation is not only a matter of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection but one that starts with God’s plan. John beautifully explained this in his dialogue with Nicodemus, the most quoted passage from his gospel Jn 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” We know this by heart and find it pretty easy to reflect on the love that God is showing He has for every single person. The next verses (17-21) continues to clarify God’s love: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his words might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his words may be clearly seen as done in God.” This is God’s wisdom. We have to spend some time mulling this over in our minds. It is God’s desire to return all people to His plan. We saw this plan in Moses’ description of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived in the peace and presence of God. God wants to restore this peace to each of our lives…do we live this? Do we know that Jesus took on human form not just to free us from sin, but to make us into God’s people, His sons and daughters, members of His family and not just servants? Jesus put our human nature to death on the cross so that we might be restored to the divine nature and become like Jesus. John takes these themes of light, life, truth and glory and continues to enrich them in his gospel. John brings them out in many different ways because he wants us to look into our lives and realize that we have experienced them daily. God is with us, John continues to tell us. He cares for us; He loves us just exactly the way we are now…in our needs…in our doubts…in our asking for help. He loves us and cares for us. John explains that it is the Holy Spirit who continues where Jesus left off. Jesus came not only to teach us, He came to transform us. This is the work of the Spirit gracing us. Every day, we can meet Jesus in our prayers, we can meet Him in the Eucharist, we can meet Him in our relationships, we can meet Him in our regular routines and the Spirit lifts us and our works up to heaven. These works of the Spirit can make us more like Jesus every day. So often the surroundings of this season obscure us from the focus and central issue of Christmas. We just cannot escape from the mystery of the Incarnation. God is with us. God needs us to be Jesus to others. God has been born among us as Emmanuel or God-with-us. God is with us helping us each and every day. His goodness can manifest itself in us in so many ways especially when we care for those less fortunate than ourselves. Any person who is in need and is right in front of us, presents an opportunity for us to be Jesus to them. We will be constantly distracted by our culture pleading with us to buy…you need this…be good to yourself…let others care for themselves.’ Many years ago Simon and Garfunkel in one of their earliest recordings performed ‘Silent Night/Seven o’clock news’ I do not believe that they ever re-recorded it…it is not on their greatest album sets, yet I remember it well. It begins with the duo singing Silent Night…in the background begins the international headline news from a radio station…it becomes louder and louder capturing the killings, the brutalities, the violence going on in the world…they news fades into the background as the Song ends. I cried the first time I heard it as I’m now. Jesus came into a very violent world to tell us that this was not God’s plan. Listen to God. Know that He loves each one. He’s with each person helping them be people who care and live love. This is God’s plan. This is how we will be redeemed. This is why we have a part in redeeming the world, our world. We will constantly face obstacles and non-believers. But we are to be examples to the world. It was attributed to Francis of Assisi a message for us, ‘Preach and once in a while use words.’ Day in and day out, Jesus wants to reveal the Father to us and draw us into a closer relationship with Him. Do we let Him? He wants to transform our thoughts, words and actions. All He asks is that we keep ourselves linked to the Spirit. We are to be His Light. Where do we need His help today to do that? I reflect on: • I look at when I have experienced the Light of Christ as stronger than darkness in my life. Where does this lead me? • What is one way that I can testify to the power of the Christ-light this Christmas? Do I try to bring light into other people’s lives? Where does that light come from? Do I welcome this same light when it is offered to me? • Do I understand the true value of the gift I have been given, the very gift of God Himself? Do I sometimes take for granted what God has done for me? • Where did I find the true spirit of Christmas during this past month? Did I keep a aright balance between my secular and spiritual sides? Sacred Space 2017 says, “In this hymn, which introduces the fourth Gospel, John proclaims the faith that marks us as Christian. We believe that Jesus is the word of God, God’s perfect expression. ‘No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made Him known.’ Lord, in the year that starts tonight, let me grow in the knowledge of God. May I receive of your fullness, grace upon grace. You took on this mortal flesh for me and lived among us. May this coming year bring me closer to You. In this time of prayer, I let what is at the heart of God reveal itself to me: life and light for all. I acknowledge what comes between me and this life God offers. I identify what darkens my heart and narrows my vision. The goodness and generosity of God are here for me as God longs to become present in the world through me.”