SERMON: CHRISTMAS: A HISTORICAL FACT AND A MYSTERY

The main theme of the fourth Sunday of Advent whose readings are Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 is on the imminent birth of Christ which perfectly fulfills a hope expressed by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading and repeated in the Gospel. This birth of the Messiah, related to the line of David, will usher in a new kind of kingship, destined to extend to the Gentiles; in other words, to the whole world. And this birth demands a personal response of faith and generosity on our part. As Christmas Day draws near, the Church reminds us that it is a historical fact as well as a mystery. When the time came, Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, and the three lived in their home at Nazareth. Jesus grew up obedient to both Joseph and Mary and worked with Joseph at their carpenter’s trade. But with this historical fact of birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the whole world is faced with a mystery! John sums up the event so profoundly in the following words: ‘the Word was made flesh’. Matthew in his Gospel 1: 18-25, gives us the historical significance of the birth of Jesus with a wonderful narrative ease, but when he wants to tell us what happened exactly, he prefers to use the words of Prophet Isaiah: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel’. When faced with the same mystery, Luke reminds us that this child is not simply a human being. He clarifies the same mystery by speaking of the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, so that the child born of her is the Holy One of God. St Paul clarifies this mystery from a different point of view, basing himself mainly on his own vocation. He was set apart for the gospel of God. His God-given responsibility, or vocation, is to preach that Jesus is truly human and truly divine. Paul tells us that through his human origin Jesus is son of David. But through resurrection, Holy Spirit and divine power, he stands out as God’s Son. As we prepare ourselves for Christmas, it is very important for us as Christians to ask ourselves how we are related to the mystery of the birth of Jesus. If St. Paul’s vocation was to preach the gospel of God, our vocation is to accept the gospel and live it in our daily life. This vocation of ours is in harmony with Jesus’ mission. He came to redeem his people from their sins that all mankind might be sanctified. Having been sent by the Father, he in turn sent his apostles whom he sanctified by conferring on them the Holy Spirit so that they also might glorify the Father on earth and procure the salvation of all men. What is the relevance of the above message in your personal life? The incarnation and birth of Our Lord is not a one-way street. Mankind doesn’t passively receive the Savior. Like Joseph in today’s Gospel, the coming of the Christ Child demands a response of faith and generosity. Joseph “was a righteous man,” unwilling to expose Mary to shame for her surprise pregnancy. That act of good will on Joseph’s part provided a window of opportunity for God to proceed with the unfolding of his plan for the redemption of the world. And that is what God demands from us as well, to participate in the salvation of the world through our act of good will. Christmas is about our personal redemption; Christ comes into the world to redeem mankind; for each of us personally. In order to correspond to so great a gift, it demands a serious spiritual preparation from our part. That is why our prayer life should intensify in the days before Christmas. The serenity of the Bethlehem scene assures us that God approaches us in love. Maintaining an air of silence and prayer helps us to take advantage of the Christmas event. It is a good time to renew family ties. And as we plan to go and meet our relatives for the celebration of Christmas, let us use this blessed time to reach out to those who might have wandered from the faith. Our Lord invites all comers to his crib. He came into the world, in fact, “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). On Christmas, we can speak for the Baby Jesus, and extend his personal love to all those we shall be celebrating with. He loves us all. Ends