{"id":1522,"date":"2014-12-25T11:24:34","date_gmt":"2014-12-25T16:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1522"},"modified":"2014-12-25T11:24:34","modified_gmt":"2014-12-25T16:24:34","slug":"christmas-homily-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/christmas-homily-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas Mass During the Night<\/a>
\nIsaiah 9:1-6
\nTitus 2:11-14
\nLuke 2:1-14
\nDecember 25, 2014<\/p>\n

Why are we here?<\/p>\n

The answer would seem obvious.\u00a0 It\u2019s Christmas and that means we come to church but why?\u00a0 We have Mass every Sunday but with far less people than we will see today.\u00a0 What makes the difference?<\/p>\n

Well, for one thing it\u2019s kind of hard to miss Christmas.\u00a0 There are TV channels that have been airing Christmas movies and specials all month.\u00a0 The Christmas music is on the radio.\u00a0 It\u2019s in the news and there are the sales in the stores.\u00a0 There are parties with family and friends.\u00a0 There are presents to exchange.<\/p>\n

These can be good things but they are not enough or we won\u2019t be here.\u00a0 The movies, TV specials, and the parties can be important parts of how we celebrate Christmas but they are not enough.<\/p>\n

We are made for the true meaning of Christmas.\u00a0 Christmas is all about Jesus.\u00a0 We get excited for the presents and parties.\u00a0 We are inspired by the decorations but today is about Jesus.<\/p>\n

I see it in our school children.\u00a0 I have visited our school a couple of times in the last couple of weeks and talked with the students about Christmas.\u00a0 If you ask them about Christmas, they\u2019ll talk about the presents and being with family but if you ask what Christmas is about they will tell us it is Jesus\u2019 birthday.<\/p>\n

Yes, For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord<\/em>.<\/p>\n

These are the words the angel spoke to the shepherds but they are words that are important to everyone, a savior has been born!<\/em><\/p>\n

Isaiah spoke of the people who walked in darkness and lived in a land of gloom.\u00a0 It\u2019s no secret that our world has problems in it and so we need light, light to show us hope, light that gives us abundant joy, and leads us to great rejoicing.<\/p>\n

Presents can bring us some joy.\u00a0 The parties can be times of rejoicing but I also think the presents and parties can leave us longing for something more.\u00a0 Earthly things are important but we are created for something more.\u00a0 We are created to know God.\u00a0 We are created in God\u2019s image and our hearts long to be one with God.<\/p>\n

God is love and the exchange of gifts are meant to be an expression of love and we celebrate with the people we love but we see great love looking at Baby Jesus lying in a manger.<\/p>\n

To think Jesus would be willing to leave him to become like us shows his love.\u00a0 He could have come with great glory and power.\u00a0 He could have come in great wealth.\u00a0 He did not of that.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

Jesus did not come into the world for himself.\u00a0 Jesus didn\u2019t come for us to praise him (but we should).\u00a0 Jesus came for us that we might know his love.<\/p>\n

Jesus could have come into a palace but instead in God\u2019s plan, Jesus was born in a stable.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 If Jesus had come as a wealthy human adult living in a palace how many would have ever really connected with him.<\/p>\n

Instead Jesus chose to come as a little baby born into a simple family of modest means.\u00a0 Jesus knows what it is like to be born, to grow, to struggle and suffer.\u00a0 Jesus knows what it is like to be human<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Because I see so many decorations in church, I don\u2019t do much decorating at home.\u00a0 The one thing I do put out each year is a small Nativity set my mother gave me several years ago.\u00a0 We have our Nativity set here in church and to me it captures the fundamental meaning of Christmas.<\/p>\n

No grand palace or great crowds to wait hand and foot on the new king.\u00a0 Not even a decent back room in the inn.\u00a0 It all happened in a stable meant for animals where Jesus was laid in a manger, a manger where animals ate from.<\/p>\n

How appropriate!\u00a0 The animals ate from the manger and gained strength from what they ate.<\/p>\n

Now in a manger we see Jesus who gives us life as we eat His Body and Blood.<\/p>\n

Today is Jesus\u2019 birthday.\u00a0 Today we receive new life in Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas Mass During the Night Isaiah 9:1-6 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14 December 25, 2014 Why are we here? The answer would seem obvious.\u00a0 It\u2019s Christmas and that means we come to church but why?\u00a0 We have Mass every Sunday but with far less people than we will see today.\u00a0 What makes the difference? Well, for …<\/p>\n

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