{"id":7359,"date":"2021-12-25T10:51:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-25T15:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=7359"},"modified":"2021-12-25T10:51:50","modified_gmt":"2021-12-25T15:51:50","slug":"christmas-homily-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/christmas-homily-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Homily 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christmas \u2013 Mass During the Night<\/a>
Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14
December 25, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The answer is no secret.  If you have been in stores recently, it is obvious that it is Christmas.  The stores welcome the shoppers looking for gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We come here to church on Christmas because Christmas is about more than shopping.  In our Catholic faith, Christmas is the second <\/em>most important day of the year.  Yes, I said second.  The Easter Triduum with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is number one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas is the day when the time for Mary to give birth to Jesus came.  Mary and Joseph had gone to Bethlehem for the census.  Prophecies had long foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Prophecies like Isaiah who writes, \u201cFor a child is born to us, a son is given us, upon his shoulder dominion rests.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In receiving \u201cdominion<\/em>\u201d Jesus is to be our king.  Yet look at our nativity scene.  He was wrapped in \u201cswaddling clothes<\/em>\u201d and laid in a manger.  Hardly what one would expect for an earthly king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is indeed our king, but He is not king of an earthly kingdom.  \u201cHis dominion is vast and forever peaceful.<\/em>\u201d  Jesus is king of Heaven.  His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom that will end.  Jesus\u2019 kingdom will last forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times in this world we walk in darkness but Jesus comes to be a \u201cgreat light.<\/em>\u201d  In time of \u201cgloom<\/em>\u201d, Jesus shines as a light for us.  With what Jesus offers we can have \u201cabundant joy and great rejoicing.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, in Jesus, \u201cthe grace of God has appeared.<\/em>\u201d  Why did Jesus come? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He came to train \u201cus to reject godless ways and worldly desires.<\/em>\u201d  He helps us understand what God teaches so that we may live in accord with our Father\u2019s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus came to give himself to deliver us from our sins.  Through his Crucifixion Jesus smashes the yoke that burdens us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, Jesus brings us \u201cabundant joy and great rejoicing.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, Christmas is a time of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our decorations speak of what Jesus offers us.  The nativity scene depicts the humble birth of Jesus.  Jesus is laying in a manger.  A manger is a food trough for animals.  Jesus feeds us with the Bread of Life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Christmas trees we use evergreen trees to remind us of the everlasting life God offers.  The Christmas tree points up to Heaven, reminding us to center our lives on God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lights on the trees and the burning of candles reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to our nativity scene, who are the first to receive the \u201cgood news of great joy<\/em>?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a band of shepherds.\u00a0 Why is it important to know they were shepherds?\u00a0 Shepherds were considered to be of lowly status.\u00a0 Their being the first to receive the \u201cgood news of great joy<\/em>\u201d shows us that the news is meant for everyone<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was the \u201cgood news of great joy<\/em>\u201d that the angel brought to the shepherds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The angel said, \u201cFor today in the city of David a savior has been born for you<\/u><\/strong> who is Christ and Lord.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is indeed good news.  Actually, it is great <\/em><\/strong>news.  The long-awaited prophecies of a Messiah are fulfilled.  God fulfills his promises.  We can count on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, what we celebrate at Christmas is a wonderful gift to us.  Jesus has become one like us in all things but sin.  Jesus does this because He loves us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From what Jesus offers us, we can find peace in times of darkness and gloom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With grateful hearts, we give \u201cGlory to God in the highest<\/em>\u201d for \u201ca savior has been born for us who is Christ and Lord.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas \u2013 Mass During the NightIsaiah 9:1-6Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2021 Why are we here? The answer is no secret.  If you have been in stores recently, it is obvious that it is Christmas.  The stores welcome the shoppers looking for gifts. We come here to church on Christmas …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Christmas Homily 2021’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[62,82],"tags":[129,227],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMTPk-1UH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7359"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7361,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7359\/revisions\/7361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}