The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
I am an idealist. I am for most part also an optimist. You see, when I was younger, I always looked at the world around me and believed that in twenty-five thirty years the world would be a far better place. I dreamt that one day there would not be wars or nuclear weapons, that there that the poor would see their lot improve, that there would be no economic and racial inequality, that we would have found a cure for cancer, and that the world will be more godly. I really did! Those twenty-five thirty years have passed. I am not sure if it is because I am approaching fifty or because I am finally coming to grip with reality, my idealism and my optimism are both waning. My hopes of seeing a more egalitarian, peaceful, prosperous, just and godly world is looking increasingly remote. Violence, religious and state sponsored terrorism, the threat of wars, racial tension, sexual discrimination, disparity between super-rich and the poor, economic injustice that hard-working middle class endure, bigotry, xenophobia and atheism are as rampant today as in the past, if not, increased.
I am sorry for beginning my Christmas homily on such a pessimistic note. I can explain. This advent I have been reflecting on the implications of the birth of Jesus. If the world is not bettering itself, then what difference did the first Christmas make? As is perhaps is the case for you, the birth of Jesus is a big deal for me. People world over have stopped their work, are spending time with their families, have put lights outside their homes, will exchange gifts, sing carols, will share a lot of good food and go to Church. We too have gathered here to celebrate a birth that happened two-thousand years ago. Is Christmas and this gathering relevant? Or is this one other thing we do every year as a family, and then life gets back to ‘normal?’ What does Christmas mean in 2014?
- Christmas means a Radical Commitment to the Person of Christ. Perhaps, most of you know that the actual birth day of Jesus has never been historically determined. In ancient Rome, Dec 25 was the feast of Saturnalia and coincided with the winter solstice festivals. I think that indeterminacy of the date of the birth of Jesus is a good thing because this way Christmas is not limited to a date. Christmas is more than about the day Jesus was born; Christmas is about the person of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest turnarounds that characterize Pope Francis’ papacy is his emphasis on the person of Christ. It is often easy to equate Christianity and particularly Catholicism with a vibrant culture, with rich and long history, with strong traditions and doctrines. In the process, it is possible to take our eyes off the person to whom all these things point. Even today, How come Santa Claus is the brand ambassador for Christmas? And then… there is you and me. How can we know if Christmas is more than a date on our calendar? Here are some questions to determine that: Do we know Jesus today more than knew him this time last year? Have we grown closer to the person of Christ since last Christmas? Is Jesus influencing our life and decisions today more than he did last year? Dec 25th’s will come and go. But if Christmas must have meaning then Christ must become central to us.
- Christmas means a Radical Commitment to the teachings of Christ. Jesus stood for something greater than the human mind could imagine. He personally came to tell us that God cares about us and that we are God’s children. Even though he was God, he did not cling to his status but became like us. He taught us a new way to relate to God and with to another; He showed us that there is another way to live; that we do not have to dominate each other or cut each other down. He came to show us that enemies can reconcile and that hatred is a sin. He came to show us that genuine love and humble service are more powerful than our most powerful weapons. He defended the vulnerable, stood by the ones on the fringes of society, refused to do violence, and created a ‘revolution of goodness.’ When we do homage to the little child in a manger, this is the Christ we are invited to adore. If Christmas must have meaning, then we who call ourselves Christians must stand true to the Christ of the gospels.
- Christmas means loving the world as Christ loves it. My third point takes me back to the beginning of my homily. I said earlier that my idealism and my optimism are waning. But if there is anything that Christ is teaching me this Christmas it is this – that I cannot give up on the world. Jesus did not come to the world when it was perfect. In fact, he came precisely because the world was tainted. But he loved the world enough to live and die in it so that he might save it. To celebrate Christmas is to believe that God has not given up on the world. And we cannot give up either. In a very imperfect and violent world that claimed Jesus life, we are being called to continue his work. We must continue is ‘revolution of goodness.’ So let us set aside our guns, control our tongue, and curb our greed. Let us be peace and let it begin with me. Like Christ, it is better to give our lives than take one; it is better to give the shirt off our back rather than hoard it; it is better to love unconditionally rather than hate some; it is better to choose the narrow path than the broad one; it is better to forgive rather than let hatred, prejudice and revenge dominate our lives; it is better to pray for those we have trouble getting along with rather than curse them; it is better not to judge so that we ourselves may not be judged; it is better to store treasures in heaven than on earth. I am inviting you this Christmas to create a ‘revolution of goodness.’ Do it, even if you are alone. After all, one birth, one death, one person on the cross transformed the history of the world. His name is Jesus Christ. His name is Christmas.
Fr. Satish Joseph