Christmas 07

Christmas 2007
“God is with us…”

Search for Christmas
I am writing this homily at my sister’s house...

There are so many things and ideas to say about Christmas, so many that I honestly don't know what to say for this Christmas homily. Here I am trying to reflect at my sister's kitchen. My niece and nephews running noisily around the house. My sister busy cooking spaghetti for their family Christmas eve dinner. Time is ticking...no ideas yet. I am now starting to panick.. Christmas eve Mass is one the most celebrated celebrations and many people hear Mass only during Christmas.

As my panicking grows intense my one-year old nephew crawled under my chair. He got stucked underneath and gently hit his head as he tried to free himself out. Unimaginable loud cry filled the house and indeed the whole neighbourhood of Sunbury. My sister hastily rescued her little boy. As soon as my sister took my nephew up his loud cry instantly stopped...a total silence in the house.

I said to myself, “what I saw a beautiful image of Christmas.” A child who was afraid and found comfort, a child who was in tears and now at peace, a child who was searching help and now feels a warm and loving embrace of his mother.

I saw in my nephew’s being stucked under a chair and freed by his mum the image of humanity who is rescued by God from the slavery sin and corruption of death.

The celebration of Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of our salvation history when humanity is saved from the darkness of evil. Today is a celebration of the fulfillment of God’s promise by the birth his Son, our Savior, the Emmanuel.

Scripture Readings
The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah written 700 years before the birth of Christ. Isaiah proclaimed a message of repentance from sin and hopeful expectation of God’s deliverance in the future. The first reading tells us a prophecy about the coming of our Saviour. “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.”

In the second reading St Paul’s letter to Titus that God has often spoken to people about his Son Jesus. In Jesus we see what God means and who God is, he is our savior who is always eager to deliver and rescue us from our lawlessness, human weakness and sinfulness.

In the Gospel, Matthew takes us back the story of the first Christmas. The angel appeared to fearful and startled shepherds “good news of great joy”: the birth in Bethlehem of a Child who is “Christ the Lord.” The heavenly host responded by bursting into songs of praise, glorifying God in heaven and announcing God’s peace and favor on earth. The revelation of this birth to us calls forth the same kind of rejoicing which unites our voices in this Mass with the song of the heavenly host in the heaven.

Symbol of Christmas: Search for the Star
During Christmas people use different symbols to represent God's salvation through the birth of his Son. What do you think is the most favorite symbol of Christmas? Well I suppose the star is a favorite one. The star appears on Christmas cards and atop Christmas trees in many homes. We see star around shopping centers and around Werribee. And somehow it's not just another ornament. The star shines not only into our eyes but also into our hearts. My father used to make a star lantern made of bamboo. It represents the star of Bethlehem.

When we see the lights and gaze at the Christmas star we sense the afterglow of the original Christmas star that led people from faraway lands on a long journey to see a baby. The Bible tells the story of the Christmas star in Bethlehem.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

The Star leads us to the place where the child is born. The Star signals that God is not away from us, God is with us, the Emmanuel. Actually, Christianity is the only religion that teaches God is not above and far away of us, but only religion that tells God is with us.

Pope Benedict XVI writes in his recent book “Jesus of Nazareth”. Jesus shows us the face of God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom literature—the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love.

Christianity is the only religion that proclaims that God came to be human like us (except sin). Although God-is-with-us, until we are still seeking love, acceptance, healing, understanding and forgiveness.

We are like wise men in search of the “star”, and that Star is not away from us, because God is with us. God who is just not beside us, but God always within us, always, as love – incredible love, unconditional, unwavering love, that will never abandon us, never leave us, ever again.

Let us have a peaceful Christmas for God has saved us. Amen.