Let me wish all of you, once again, a very blessed Christmas! We gather this morning to celebrate the most blessed event of all time: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, as we hear presented so poetically in today’s gospel. It is a mystery beyond our full understanding but one that benefits us all. Speaking of benefiting from great mysterious things, I’ve become a great fan of Siri and ChatGPT. I can ask them any question and receive a very helpful answer almost instantly; I like that. And, since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve been very grateful for Zoom and FaceTime. I have family and friends around the world and I’ve been able not only to talk to them but to see them as we catch up with each other. I have little idea about how any of these technological wonders work. I simply get on my iPhone or laptop and through extensive electronic circuitry and the marvelous connections via cable, fiber-optic lines, satellites and Wi-Fi, I have access to an amazing array of information and instant contact with everyone worldwide. Like you, I’m sure, I’m grateful for these inventions and developments of our age and benefit from them regularly.
In a similar but much more important way, we all benefit from the mysterious event that we are celebrating with such great joy this morning. We just heard, once again in today’s Gospel, that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. How is it that the Word of God, that is, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the eternal, infinite, omniscient and omnipresent creator of the universe, would become a man? This is truly a mystery, one we will never fully understand on this side of the grave. And, how does this mystery benefit us? We have little idea about how this is possible but, just as we use our iPhones and laptops to get information and see people around the world without really understanding how they work, so we are grateful for God allowing us to see him and hear from him even though we don’t fully understand how it happened. It remains one of the most important mysteries of all time and we, people of faith, benefit greatly from it. And, through the marvelous connections God has given us through the Sacred Scriptures, prayer and the sacraments, we come to an ever deeper awareness of and appreciation for this great mystery. This is not only helpful information, it is the Word of God himself who comes among us to provide us with the fullness of Truth. And, like Zoom that allows us to see one another, even though we are miles away, this great mystery allowed our ancestors in the faith to see God as he came to them in the flesh.
In today’s second reading, we hear that, in times past, God spoke in partial and various ways. But, in the fullness of time, he has spoken to us through his son. And, why did he come? The reading goes on to explain that it was to purify us from sin. We don’t like to admit it, but we’re all sullied by sin that leads us to greed, pride, gluttony, lust, sloth, envy and malice. We’re all familiar with these capital sins that separate us from one another and from God. Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, first showed us – by his teachings and his actions – how to live in union with one another and with God. And then, he offered himself on the cross for us, overcoming the power of the devil and demonstrating how giving ourselves entirely in love for others leads to new life in God. That is the most important information any of us can receive in our quest to see God face-to-face for all eternity.
Christmas is a time for us to reflect on this great gift – this wondrous gift still among us today, now in the form of bread and wine that will soon become our Lord’s life-giving Body and Blood. The Eucharist is the mysterious sign of God still present among us. Let us open our hearts to listen to God and accept God’s truth in our lives. Then, like the prophet Isaiah, whom we heard from in this morning’s first reading, we will proclaim: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation.” The Lord came announcing peace and bearing good news. He has given us all the tools we need – including the latest technology – to learn about his saving work and to proclaim it to the world. As we celebrate this great feast, this is my prayer for all of us: may we embrace this great mystery of our salvation – the Word that became flesh – and proclaim it clearly to the world in our daily lives. Merry Christmas!