Friends, “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.” Today is Christmas Day, the day we have long awaited and prepared for. Christmas is a milestone in the history of our salvation. Today, God has proved the depth of his love by fulfilling his promise. The Word of God is no longer just the message spoken by prophets. It is now a human person. The Word has become flesh through the Blessed Virgin Mary. The central message of today’s celebration is the incarnation and the fullness of God’s divine revelation in Christ. Lord, thank You for the gift of Jesus. Help us to remember Your love and presence every day. Guide us to live in Your love and share it with others. May the joy of Christmas fill our hearts and homes.
Friends, our first reading of today, from Isaiah, finds its sphere of accomplishment in the birth of Jesus Christ, and in His life and ministry. Isaiah proclaims, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings Good News.” Indeed, the Good News himself is among us. It is the Good News of love, peace, charity, and happiness. Above all, it is the Good News of life and salvation. Brothers and sisters, we, who have waited faithfully, patiently, and vigilantly during the season of Advent, must raise our voices and shout for joy, because the Lord our God is now with us. The call of the prophet today is a call to celebrate Emmanuel, God with us. It is a call to be joyful. Knowing we are loved by God should give us strength. This Christmas, let’s remember the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Let’s embrace this love and share it with others.
Friends, in our second reading, the letter to the Hebrews captures and presents what God did for us today in a spectacular manner; “God Spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time…he has spoken to us through the son he appointed to inherit everything…He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature….” Brothers and sisters, this simply means that God has fulfilled the promise he made through the prophet in the past. This is by revealing the hidden mystery of our salvation. Now, we are the favored ones. That is, as many of us as have received the newborn baby into our hearts. Therefore, Christmas celebrates the amazing story of God becoming man. We often wonder why an all-powerful God would choose to live among us and share our experiences. This shows how much God loves us. In Jesus, God became one of us. This act shows we are not just creations but dearly loved children of God.
Friends, the gospel of John also gives us a synopsis of what happened today. That is, the divine incarnation of God; “The Word was made flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory.” The Word which was with the Father as Spirit is now with us both as flesh as well as spirit. While not losing His divinity, God, through Christ, his son, has condescended to become like us. What a great love that God has shown to us, his people. Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate Sacrifice. We too must be ready to sacrifice something for the good of our brothers and sisters as Christ did by coming to share in our nature. Today, we celebrate Humility. We must learn to be humble from Christ, who, despite being God, took our nature. Today is a day of joy. I wish all of you, my dearly beloved brothers and sisters, a wonderful and love-filled celebration this joyful season. The Lord be with you …may the Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyful Christmas season.
