MASS OF THE DAY DE CHRISTMAS

INTRODUCTION

In most Christian homes, we have built the crèche to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Maybe, without reflecting too much, we have contemplated this infant, the son of Mary, led by the tenderness that a newborn always inspires, expressed by songs, meals and pleasant words of congratulations: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

All this is beautiful but it is accidental. The contemplation of the mystery of Christmas as the Word, is much more important. We understand by Word the second person of the Most Holy Trinity, who is the Son who has become man out of love for us.

Today’s gospel has briefly said to us, in a theological way, what Christmas is about: The Word was God... And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:1,14).

We all know what the human word is. The word is the precious gift by means of which we communicate with one another. It is the gift by which others know what we think and what motivates us. The word is the expression of our thought.

With the word we declare to others, our love, admiration, respect or contempt. With the word we destroy or we build and we show our degree of maturity. By means of the word, we can manifest our happiness or our pain. Many other things could be said about the human word. All that and more, we can apply to Jesus who is the Word made man.

Let us now focus our attention on what the gospel we have just heard says to us. It is a wonderful theological gospel, full of doctrine, of which I will try to give you some ideas to help you in your Christian life.

The Word became flesh (Jn 1:14).

This infant that we contemplate in the cave of Bethlehem, the Word made man, is the second person of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus is born to plant his tent among us until the end of time, when we will live in full communion with God, in Heaven. Jesus was in this world not only during thirty-three years, but he stays among us until the end of time in the sacrifice of the Mass, in the sacred Communion and in the Tabernacle, so that we can adore Him and visit Him as our teacher, Lord and friend.

SOME QUALITIES OF THIS WORD

Saint John writes: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn 1:1).

These words remind us of the first words of Genesis.

Saint John affirms that the Word, which is Jesus incarnated, is God, and as God, already existed before the creation of the world.

We firmly believe that Jesus is God.

This is the fundamental reason why millions of people have followed, follow and will continue to follow and to give their lives for Jesus.

All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be (Jhn 1:3).

Everything was created though Him. Created things can lead us to the Creator. If we admire this created world, which we enjoyed, it is thanks to God, who created it through the Word. This Word is Jesus, the Son of Mary that today we contemplate, full of joy, in the cave of Bethlehem.

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness (Jn 1:3-5).

Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness of the world to bring the revelation of God to men and women. Jesus, with his Word, has made the Father known to us. His person is the revelation of the Father because he who sees Jesus, sees the Father. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him (Jn 1:18). Jesus came into the world to reveal the secrets of God to us.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name (Jn 1:12).

Jesus incarnated Himself so that we could become children of God. When the apostles asked Jesus to show them how to pray, His first words were: Our Father in heaven (Mt 6:9); and Saint Paul deduces the consequence: if we are children, we are heirs of heaven: And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rm 8:17).

Here and now, in the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to penetrate in the mystery of Christ, as the Word of God.

Whenever we meet to celebrate the Eucharist, we have to realise that the bread and the wine, turned into the body and blood of Christ, are the Word, that became flesh out of love for us, as Saint John has told us so clearly in today’s gospel.

Lord Jesus, I give you my most heart felt thanks for having come into the world to reveal something of heaven to me, and to make me a son of God.

Thank you, Jesus!

MAY YOU HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS DAY!!