Homily for Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) 25 December, 2013

Fr. Dwayne’s homily follows…. I. As I listened to news reports about the astronauts repairing the Space Station, the thought occurred to me that, “well, they won’t be home for Christmas.” Maybe they can look at it from a distance, but they won’t be there! - being home for Christmas is central to the celebration of Christmas - we even have a famous song about it, “I’ll be home for Christmas” – a song written during WWII when service men and women engaged in the war could not be home for Christmas - the song says that if I can’t be literally home for Christmas, I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams. - and at this time of year we see spots on TV from service men and women in distant countries who cannot be home but send their greetings to family friends - we will do almost anything to be home for Christmas…changing work schedules, traveling long distances, making arrangements months in advance - some adult children may relish the chance to be back in their parents’ house, even sleeping in the same room they had as a child - they are eager to give their children the same excitement, joy and memories they knew as a child celebrating Christmas

- there is a desire to follow the same patterns and rituals we’ve had for years - there is something very comforting about being “home for Christmas,” - being home for Christmas gives us a sense of safety and security: some how being home for Christmas assures us everything is going to be okay. II. Indeed, Christmas is about calling us home – not just to our parental home, or our home town – but to our eternal home… St. John describes the birth of Christ as the “Word becoming flesh.” His description is very different from St. Luke’s famous Christmas narrative. For John, Jesus is the “Word of God,” the whole truth about God. Jesus is the entire revelation of the Father to us humans. - in other words, Jesus says it all: Jesus is everything we need to know about going home to the Father. ln addition to coming home for Christmas, do you also feel this celebration is a “spiritual” homecoming? III. Isn’t it true that so often during the course of the year we feel lost - we actually get lost? We make poor choices…we go down dead end roads…we let our guard down and get taken in by the temptations, sin and evil around us… - St. Paul tells us that the grace of God has appeared training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires - the grace of God has appeared to teach us how to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age as we await the appearance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - isn’t this what we really want? And doesn’t Christmas call us back to what we know is really important? IV. Someone commented to me recently that it seems a lot of people are sad at Christmas time. Do you think that is true? I had never noticed that. - if some are, perhaps it is because they are remembering loved ones or memories of Christmases past - but it may also be because at Christmas the regrets and mistakes of the

past also come to the surface: we come to realize our lives are not really what they should be – and so we see the stark contrast between the holiness of this day and the reality of our own lives - so we come to celebrate Christmas: which reminds us and calls to direct ourselves towards our eternal home V. We get to that home by uniting ourselves to Jesus - at the end of John’s gospel Jesus claims, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - Jesus is all we need in order to find our way home: Jesus is the Truth – he gives us the teachings we need to guide us on our path through life - Jesus is the Life – the very source of God’s grace and presence within us - and Jesus’ Way is the way of love – a lesson he taught over and over again as he gave of himself for the sake of others VI. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. He taught us how to live temperately, justly and devoutly – he showed us how to get to our eternal home. As we celebrate his first coming among us today, do we also accept him as our guide for our eternal homecoming? Fr. Alan’s homily follows…. My job every year growing up was setting up the Nativity scene. That’s because I was the baby in the family – and therefore the most loved. In our bathroom closet just above the beat-upmega-Christmas-decorations-box (that is now more tape than carboard) is a small plain cardboard box with no words and inside are nativity figurines (about the size of my hand) that have been wrapped in the same newpaper for the last 20 years with simple, borderline cartoonish figures. The angel had a chipped wing, a shepherd is missing his nose and, rather than sand and straw, our nativity had snow and pine trees.

That’s the first image that comes to mind when I imagine Jesus in the stable. I’m glad. Because now when I’m feeling swamped with the holidays or stressing about things like what God wanted me to say in this homily, I can remember that nativity set that helps put everything back into perspective.

For example, last week I was filling up my car with gas while listening to man who had crossed the street in front of a lady in a minivan car chewing each other out, I thought, hmm . . . this is what Christmas is all about.

In a way it is. Christmas is a chance to realize how backwards our world can be, to go back to the basics to remember those truths life seems to want to make us forget, so I want to explore with you three of those basic lessons that our readings for today and this Christmas teach us:

Lesson #1: God finds us. Perhaps we’ve heard others say or we’ve said things like: I’m just searching for God. Well, Christmas reminds us that that idea is completely backwards. God finds us. Jesus is the one who searches for us with the reckless abandon a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep in search of one.

Think of the angels that appeared to the shepherds or the star that guided the Wise Men, that was God’s initiative. In our second reading we heard: The “grace of God has appeared” and in our Gospel we heard: “Jesus Christ, the true light who enlightens everyone was coming into the world.” Jesus comes not because we earned it or because we were good boys and girls. Not at all. It’s complete gift.

Lesson #2: Holiness is simple Holiness is becoming the person God wants you to be. Period. It means using the gifts God has given you for his glory. It’s not about reading this book or becoming Saint so and so, it’s about becoming saint you. Someone gave me a great insight that I have made my own prayer recently: God help me to love you like no one else has ever loved you before.

That means prayer is simple too. When you are angry: tell God. When you are confused: tell When you are grateful or sorry: tell God.

Look at the example of the wise men who simply follow the star, not knowing where it will lead. Or think of the shepherds who simply go to Bethlehem like the angels charged them to do. Think about Mary and Joseph whose plans are thrown out the window when they humbly say: God you take control of my life. Not as I will, but as you will.

Lesson #3: Rejoice! The saddest thing in the world today is a sad Christian. A sad Christian is someone who doesn’t yet know the joy of Christ. The kind of joy we heard about in our first reading from Isaiah: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing. Now, I’m not talking happiness, I’m taking joy; a subtle reality that keeps in the forefront of our minds that the battle has already been won. As we heard about in our Gospel: “What came to be through him [Jesus Christ the Word] was life and this life was the light of the human race and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Over and over again in the scriptures we hear that when someone encounters Jesus Christ they leave rejoicing. Think of the the shepherds or the wise men after they saw Jesus returning to their homes in joy. Or the joy of the Mary and the disciples after they left the empty tomb. Joy is the surest sign that someone knows and has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When I think back on that nativity set, I love the fact that it’s broken its pieces are imperfect. I love the fact that it had pine trees and snow and mismatched angels. Because that’s us. That’s our world. However messy your life may seem now, remember Jesus, the Son of God, decided to spend his first night in a stinky, smelly, loud stable. He wants to enter into your life! The

marvelous thing is Jesus still comes to us in this Eucharist. He comes in Body and Blood into the unstable stable of our souls.

So, remember: God finds us, holiness is simple and for crying out loud rejoice!