Homily for December 2017 \u2013 Year of the Eucharist
\nIsaiah 62:1-5
\nPsalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5
\nTitus 3:4-7
\nJohn 1:1-18
\n(all readings taken from readings for Christmas \u2013 various Masses)<\/p>\n
In four days, we will begin our Christmas celebration but not yet.\u00a0 Earthly preparations have been busy for Christmas but tonight is not about baking, wrapping presents, or planning parties.\u00a0 Tonight is for us to reflect on what Christmas means.<\/p>\n
I almost want to say that Christmas is not about the earthly but that\u2019s not quite true.\u00a0 It\u2019s not about the earthly in the sense of presents, holiday treats, and parties.\u00a0 These things are fine but they are not the purpose of Christmas.\u00a0 They are tangible ways of expressing what Christmas is really about.<\/p>\n
Yet, Christmas does involve the earthly in the sense that it is about Jesus becoming earthly, incarnate in the flesh, just like you and me.\u00a0 Tonight is about the Word made flesh forever!<\/p>\n
All of the readings I selected for tonight come from the readings listed as Christmas readings.\u00a0 Our first reading from Isaiah comes from the readings suggested for a vigil Mass.\u00a0 It speaks of the promised one to come and the vindication of Jerusalem to shine forth.\u00a0 Jesus is the promised one.\u00a0 He is our light in that he helps us see the world as God sees it.\u00a0 Jesus helps us to see the truth.<\/p>\n
Our responsorial psalm speaks of how God makes his salvation known<\/em> and that \u201cAll the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 We see the act of our salvation in Jesus\u2019 death on the Cross but it begins in his birth.\u00a0 Right now, we can look at what will become our nativity scene in church.\u00a0 We see the stable structure, the straw, and the animals as they would be when Mary and Joseph arrive but they are not here yet.<\/p>\n We know what is coming.\u00a0 Soon Mary and Joseph will arrive and we will see the baby Jesus in the manger.\u00a0 In the Old Testament, there are various stories of God appearing.\u00a0 In Exodus 3, God appears in the burning bush to Moses.\u00a0 In 1 Kings 19, God comes to Elijah in the tiny whispering sound but it is at Christmas that God becomes incarnate and we see<\/em><\/strong> Jesus.<\/p>\n If we look only at the Old Testament, it is easy enough to see that God is involved in the lives of his people but it might often seem distant.\u00a0 One might think God is watching over us but yet distant.<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 birth changes that.\u00a0 Now God has appeared<\/em> so that we might see him as a brother and not just a distant God.<\/p>\n Jesus has always existed.\u00a0 Our gospel reading tells us that \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God\u2026All things came to be through him\u2026the light shines in the darkness.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Jesus is the Word that became flesh, the Word incarnate.\u00a0 As we see Jesus, we see God.<\/p>\n As we see Jesus, we see hope.<\/p>\n Why does Jesus become flesh?\u00a0 As Paul writes, \u201cnot because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 We must try to live our best but salvation is a gift that comes from the mercy of God.<\/p>\n I mentioned before that God had \u201cappeared\u201d in various ways in the Old Testament period but it\u2019s different with Jesus.\u00a0 Jesus did not simply \u201cappear\u201d for a few minutes, offer a message, direction, and\/or a miracle and depart.<\/p>\n No, Jesus \u201cbecame\u201d <\/em>one of us for a lifetime.\u00a0 Jesus was conceived as a human being in Mary\u2019s womb just as we are conceived in our mother\u2019s womb.\u00a0 Jesus was born just like you and me.\u00a0 Jesus experienced childhood just like us.\u00a0 Jesus learned a trade (carpentry) just like we learn a job.\u00a0 Jesus became<\/em> like us in all things but sin.<\/p>\n I want to emphasize that I just said he \u201cbecame<\/em>\u201d like us.\u00a0 He did not just \u201cappear\u201d to look like us.\u00a0 He actually became human in a physical body just like you and me.<\/p>\n And was not just for a moment in time.\u00a0 He was human from the moment of his conception and throughout his life on earth.\u00a0 Then, even in his death on the Cross, he did not cease to have a human body.<\/p>\n His body was laid in the tomb but after three days the tomb is found empty.\u00a0 Then Jesus came to his disciples resurrected body<\/em><\/strong> and soul<\/em>.\u00a0 Even when he ascended to Heaven, Jesus did not simply disappear to return to the Father only in divine form.\u00a0 Jesus ascended body<\/em><\/strong> and soul<\/em> to the Father.\u00a0 Once Jesus becomes human at his conception, he always has a body.<\/p>\n It is his body that we receive in the Eucharist.\u00a0 It is his body present in the Blessed Sacrament that we can gaze upon in the monstrance on the altar right now.\u00a0 It is the Word made flesh forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Homily for December 2017 \u2013 Year of the Eucharist Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5 Titus 3:4-7 John 1:1-18 (all readings taken from readings for Christmas \u2013 various Masses) In four days, we will begin our Christmas celebration but not yet.\u00a0 Earthly preparations have been busy for Christmas but tonight is not about baking, …<\/p>\n