by Fr. Tommy Lane
We know all the young people here are looking forward to a very special visitor dressed in red to bring gifts later tonight. We know your hopes will not be dashed because Santa Claus will not let you down.
For those of us whom Santa Claus does not visit any longer, if our hopes were dashed this year in any way, and so many on this continent are suffering because of war or other reasons, our celebration of Jesus’ birth gives us hope because it reminds us that no matter how big a mess the world is in, God loves us and is always waiting for us. God has not abandoned us. Other people or events beyond our control may have caused suffering or dashed our hopes, but that is not the last word. If it was a difficult year, that does not mean God abandoned you. God is with you. Our celebration of Jesus’ birth reminds us that God is with us. It was not easy for Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem when they could not find a room, but God had not abandoned them, and God has not abandoned you. Our celebration of Jesus’ birth reminds us to look beyond pain, to look beyond dashed hopes, to look beyond suffering because God does not want you to define yourself by negativity—the negativity of others or your own negativity. God wants you to define yourself by how God sees you: his beloved son or daughter. What matters is what God thinks of you. What matters is how God values you. In any darkness, remember the light of God. There are many electric lights all around us at this time of year, but the brightest light of all is the light of Jesus coming into the world to remind us of God’s love and to remind us of our value and worth no matter what negativity surrounds.
One of the most famous and most reproduced images of all time is Michelangelo’s fresco of the creation of Adam in which God is stretching out his hand and pointing his finger to Adam who is also stretching out his hand. God’s finger and Adam’s finger are almost touching. What we celebrate today, Jesus’ birthday, is God reaching out in the most dramatic way possible—God becoming one of us in Jesus. We have been created by God and God wants us to know of his love for us and how precious we are in his eyes. Imagine, God becoming one of us. Who would ever have expected that? It is the most extraordinary thing in the world—God becoming one of us. It shows that God is, we might say, crazy about us. God showed it again when Jesus died for our salvation on Calvary, giving his body and blood for us in exchange for our sins. God is indeed crazy about us. What an embarrassment that sometimes we don’t live up to God’s expectations. We dash God’s hopes for us when we fail to live up to God’s love for us, when our lives do not reflect the worth and value God places on us. But we have come here today to show our love of God, and to thank God.
When someone has a birthday and we are invited, we give a card and a gift. Today is Jesus’ birthday and it would be wonderful to give a gift to Jesus. I think there are two gifts we can give to Jesus. We can give Jesus the gift of our love for him. This is really loving Jesus back for all the love he has given us. There was no room in the inn in Bethlehem. We can make room in the inn of our hearts for Jesus. How? By praying to Jesus every day. Above all we show our love for Jesus by meeting Jesus in the Eucharist here. Jesus longs for us to meet him in the Eucharist. In John 6 we read Jesus saying: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:56) and “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (John 6:53) Jesus wants us to be one with him in the Eucharist. Before we leave here tonight, either before the image of Jesus in the crèche/crib or in your seat, can you give Jesus the gift of welcoming him more into your heart and perhaps making a resolution to love Jesus more during the year ahead?
The second gift we can give Jesus is being kind to others. Everyone makes a special effort at this time of year to be kind to others. But we know that, unfortunately, as the year wears on, that enthusiasm can wane. It is helpful to remember that what we do to others we do to Jesus. Jesus said in a parable, “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 25:40)
If your hopes were dashed this year, instead of allowing yourself to be defined by the negativity of others or your own negativity, allow yourself to be defined by the love of God who is crazy for you, so crazy that God became one of us to convince you of love for you and how he values you. We love Jesus back by praying to him every day, being one with Jesus when we receive him in the Eucharist, and being kind to others. The brightest light of all is the light of Jesus coming into the world to remind us of God’s love and to remind us of our value and worth.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2022
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for Christmas
Christmas: Jesus’ love for you 2021
Christmas: Jesus in the midst of chaos 2020
Christmas: God’s love for you is out of this world 2015
Christmas: mystery of God’s love (also in mp3 meditation)
Related Homilies: Now I know why you had to do it: a Christmas Parable
mp3 meditation: Baby Jesus surrounded by the animals (quality reduced)
Day Mass Gospel related: Taking Jesus home 2020
stories for Christmas
Inexplicable light in form of embryo in Guadalupe