For one day the entire world stops to celebrate God’s love of us. It is extraordinary. During that same day, where possible, families reunite to celebrate our love of one another and that is also good.
It is extraordinary that God loves us. God is God and doesn’t need us. Just spending a few minutes examining the stars and galaxies and the universe tells us we are nothing. Yet God loved us so much that he became one of us in Bethlehem. So why did God become one of us in Jesus? Quite clearly God is crazy about us. God’s love for us is all the more extraordinary because God becoming one of us was to pay the price for our sins by Jesus giving his life for us on Calvary. It wasn’t just God becoming one of us in Bethlehem, but God becoming one of us in Bethlehem and allowing himself to undergo the terrible torture of his passion when some people turned against God in Jesus, plotted against him, had him arrested, brought false witnesses against him during his trial and would not give up during his trial until they got Pilate to condemn Jesus to death. Since no human could pay the price to God for our sins, guess what, God became one of us so that one of us, God in human flesh, could pay the price. That is how much God loves us. Crazy from our point of view. No human words can do justice to what God has done for us in Jesus. I think we will spend eternity in the next life understanding more and more what God has done for us in Jesus.
Those who are parents are aware that their children have no idea of all you do for them, the sacrifices parents make for their children, all the things they do to care for them and keep them safe, fed, and happy. We couldn’t expect children to know all that their parents do for them and to make up to their parents for it. But we know what God did for us. It was a tragedy that God becoming one of us had to result in Jesus’ death on the cross on Calvary. It would be another tragedy if we love God back partially or only when it suits us. How do we love God back? By making time for God every day of the year. We want to make room for Jesus in our hearts every day. We love God and make room for God by spending time with God every day in prayer. No one in Bethlehem had any room for Mary and Joseph when they most needed it for Jesus’ birth. We don’t want to be like them. Pray every day until prayer becomes so natural that if you missed prayer it would be as if you were hungry. Your body needs food; your soul needs God every day. What happens if you do not feed your soul with God every day? It starves and suffers spiritual death. Above all, we feed our souls and love God back through the Eucharist and the word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.”
This feast of God’s love for us has been commercialized causing unreal expectations of human bliss which can never be fulfilled. The more people buy into these unrealistic expectations of human bliss, the more they will be let down. Only God can satisfy our soul’s longing. So, make room for God and pray to God and Our Lady every day.
Christmas is not a happy time for every family. There is pain and hurt in some families and Christmas exacerbates that because of the unrealistic expectations for Christmas. What can you do to make your family gathering this Christmas a better experience, a happier experience? Jesus gave of himself completely for love of you. Can you be unselfish and give of yourself to make your family gathering resemble the love of God? Instead of thinking of yourself and fulfilling your every wish and desire, what about being unselfish and making your family gathering this Christmas something with good memories? Someone or some people in your home have done a lot to prepare a good meal. Let them know your gratitude and your love for them and what they did for you.
It is extraordinary that God loves us. No human words can do justice to what God has done for us in Jesus. We couldn’t expect children to know all that their parents do for them and to make up to their parents for it. But we know what God did for us. It would be a tragedy if we love God back partially or only when it suits us. God became one of us in Jesus for love of you. What are you doing to love God back?
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2025
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for Christmas
Christmas: how God sees you 2024
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
Day Mass: on the Gospel see Second Sunday after Christmas below
stories for Christmas Light of Jesus
Inexplicable light in form of embryo in Guadalupe