Homily for Christmas Day

In the Nativity scene in the front of our church, we have an image that touches the hearts and souls of all who gaze upon it: a serene new mother, a concerned father, and a vulnerable newborn child. As wearied travelers, they’re forced to take refuge in a stable. Their crude surroundings leave them barely protected, open to any and all who come their way.

And many do come their way: shepherds, townspeople, angels, and even kings. They come to see what there is to see. And we come here today, to celebrate this same birth, and to view this scene of the child in the manger, the one who inspires all wonder.

Why do the angels sing? Why have the magi traveled so far? Why do the townspeople gather, and the shepherds bow? What is going on in this mother’s heart? This father’s worried dreams? In all of these, there is wonder.

There are many ways to respond to wonder. Jesus encountered them all in His public ministry. Some people would marvel at His works, but that’s all they would do, marvel… and they would go on, their lives unchanged. There were those who wanted Jesus to perform wonders for their entertainment. They wanted a magic show. And then there were those who viewed the working of wonders as a kind of test to tell who has God’s favor. 

But Jesus knew that the true purpose of wonder is to open our hearts; to help us see that there is more to life than we’ve come to expect; a simple reminder that there are, coursing through human life, elements of God’s action.

The Nativity scene inspires wonder because we have two realities captured in this one moment. We have an earthy reality—a vulnerable child in poor circumstances – and a heavenly reality – this same child is also the Word of God and who is God.

The appropriate response to wonder is to do as the shepherds did and fall on our knees; to do as the kings did and lay our gifts before Him; to give all of our attention and to open our hearts; to stand silently before this scene of wonder and let the truth of it seep into our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.

The Nativity scene is an invitation and a promise: an invitation to enter into the mystery of God’s love; to be as vulnerable as this child and these parents; to be as open as the shepherds and as generous of heart as the kings; to praise like the angels and pay attention like the townspeople. The resulting promise is that we will meet God; we will discover not only that Jesus is God, but that we, too, can share in God’s life—not only in the afterlife but right here and right now.

And so here is an invitation to you in the days, weeks and months to come. It’s an invitation that been extended before. It’s an invitation to holiness:

Open your heart to the wonder of the scene in the manger.

Worship at Mass every week.

Nurture your relationship with Jesus by paying attention to His presence in your day.

Read the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel we will be using on most Sundays this coming year.

Avoid demanding signs from God and observe the many that are right before you. Pray that God will give you the eyes to see Him at work in your life. And then start looking around.

Love the people you encounter each day.

Use your talents for the good of the world.

Say a prayer of gratitude, for all that we have, all that we are, and all that we may become is a gift from God. +