GOD IS WITH US
Introduction:
We have come today to celebrate “God is with us” (Emmanuel). For the past four weeks we have been preparing ourselves spiritually to welcome Jesus in our lives, just as God from all eternity has been longing to be with Us always. He comes in haste to meet us, let us then with haste come tonight/today to meet Him with our heart clean cause there is no fear.
Homily:
Story of the ones gone to see the famous painting which was on the ceiling of the house….there was a mirror below.
We are straining to look up to the heavens and see God and know Him, but then we need not do that since He has send His only Son to be with us and we can see the image here on earth itself. God is with us.
What message can both I and you take from the celebration of Christmas? There are many thoughts rambling through my mind.
What is the true meaning of God coming to be like us and being born as a child?
It was for us to truly understand who God is, to be with us and to assure us that He is always there with us in moment of fear, darkness and confusion. I have personally experienced Christmas practically every year with some power incidents in my own personal life. (FAITH, LOVE, FAMILY)
– My own dad asking forgiveness before going to mass.
– As a young priest of hardship and misunderstanding during advent and how bringing it to the crib and how felt at ease and the problem solved.
All these and many more you have also experienced will have made your Christmas celebration unique and meaningful. This is putting Christ in all our preparation and celebration.
Looking at today’s liturgy and readings and the celebration, I can sum them up into three important words or theme. They are: LOVE, FAMILY and FAITH.
Christmas is a great feast in today’s society and above all for us. It is a feast of God’s love, a family feast and with people of all faith.
– Faith: For the people in the crib (Mary, Joseph, Shepherd, Kings…) they believed what God said to them. This is once again a moment given to us by the church to strengthen our faith through this happy moments. In moments of darkness and sorrow and anxiety with faith all goes well and there is light, joy and happiness.
– Family: families come together to celebrate. Many make it a point to be there at least for a meal. Above all it is a time for the family to re-unite and above all to make up. At the crib we find a family that had to move from their own place to a shed, a family which was one with nature. A family that brought all sorts of people to be with them; the rich and poor, the learned and illiterate.
– Love: for God so loved the world that He send His only Son. It is God’s love that we see in the crib and in a special way as a child; a child that needs all our love. Love is the word that we need today. Where we find there is no stability in the world with one crises or another. Love is missing not just in society, but also in our family and hearts. The world is selfish, whereas the child in the crib is telling us to give peace to other: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
At the same time we are called to strengthen the faith and bring people to the crib through our own experiences and life situation. Let us see how we can do this during this liturgy and celebration of Christmas:
· When we are able to take our daily sacrifices, crosses and joys to the birth of Jesus in faith that He will take care and we need not be afraid, and through this to bring and lead other to you.
· Our disappointments of today and unite them to the hardships endured by Mary and Joseph in their long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. To learn to walk in the footsteps of Jesus (to lead others to you).
· Faith of Mary and Joseph as they walked the streets of Bethlehem to search shelter. Increase my faith, let my faith in You be the cornerstone of my life and help others to believe in you.
· The suffering of Jesus’ birth; the poverty he accepted, cold that he bore. Give us the love of poverty and greater love for the poor (advent box collection/ carol singing). Cover us with Humility.
· Joys of the shepherd, constancy of the wise men. Bring other to the good news of Jesus birth through the qualities of my life.
To strengthen our faith we need to take a clue from the gospels during this season. We need to make haste.
Make Haste:
– At the good news given to Mary- she went in haste
– Good news to the shepherd they : let us go there to Bethlehem and see- they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe Jesus.
– Mary – to Elizabeth and she was glorified.
– Shepherds to Jesus and they returned glorifying and praising God for all they heard, seen and believed.
God’s signs: a baby; His simplicity; he makes himself small for us; He reigns not with power or outward splendor- but as a babe who is defenseless and in need of our help (he takes away our fears). He asks us to love- because he comes to us as a child.
Comes to us small so that we could understand him, welcome him and love him.
CRIB
C= could be caring. Like Mary and Joseph cared for each other and Jesus. Families are called to care for each other to transform all fears.
As parents can we substitute Joseph and Mary in the crib and put ourselves
Christ that makes all the difference in this season. God came down to be with us and as a babe. The crib is empty without Christ and only he can fill all our cribs of human life and activity. For Christ without Him no Christmas .
R= reality. This is real and not just stories. There is reality in God coming down to be with us, to take away our sins. We also see poverty, simplicity, rejection. God came to be like us to experience all this and to transform them into Joy.
I= can we see ourselves in the crib? Where am I or how close am I in the crib and to Jesus. Let us bring our brokenness or fears to the Lord and ask him to bless it.
B= I cannot look at the crib and think only of myself and BE selfish. Christ came for all humanity and so in the crib i am called to look at my brothers and sisters too, especially those far off and neglected. Jesus comes to make me happy and i have to do that to my brothers and sisters
The Eucharist, is the crib at the altar. At every Eucharist, which is God caring for us, taking our reality and transforming it into his own body and blood, coming to meet me personally and thus at the end of the mass telling me to go and do likewise.
Let us then, dear sisters and brothers, re-confirm our faith, strengthen our bonds with Jesus and our families from Jesus Himself so as to go out into our homes, society, workplace and in the streets spreading this message of faith, hope, love.
Fr. Franco Pereira, S.D.B.