HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD YEAR A.
THEME: THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTMAS.
BY: FATHER ANTHONY O. EZEAPUTA, MA.
We have all anticipated and prepared for this day throughout the four weeks of the liturgical season of Advent. And today, we are grateful to God for allowing us to gather in the house of God with family and friends to celebrate Christmas, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.
On behalf of our parish community, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Catholic Church, and myself, I wish you a Merry Christmas! Be assured that each of you is in my prayers and thoughts during this holy season.https://www.homilyhub.com/homily-for-the-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-year-a-3/
RELATED: HOMILY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY YEAR A
Dear friends, in a culture that seeks to make Christmas solely about gifts, food, drinks, Santa Claus, self-indulgence, and even visiting family and friends, let us not forget the reason for Christmas. Jesus Christ.
Today, we are celebrating the love of God, the Incarnation of the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, our redemption and salvation, and our adoption as the children of God. “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship,” Saint Paul writes to the Galatians (4:4-5).
Keep in mind that Christmas is not a secular but a religious holiday. It is a time to be intentional about inviting the Infant Jesus into our hearts, homes, and celebrations. You can do this by saying some prayers, at least before your Christmas meals. Make your Christmas gatherings and celebrations opportunities to demonstrate that you are a Christian and a Catholic and to pass on our spiritual heritage.
It is my prayer that celebrating the First Coming of the Messiah over two thousand years ago will liberate you from the bondage of sin and bring you the peace of Christ and profound joy the world cannot give. May it also strengthen your hope, faith, and love for God and prepare you for his Second Coming to judge the living and the dead.
Additionally, in just a few days we will be celebrating the end of the calendar year and the beginning of the New Year. It is worth it to take some time in the coming days to thank God for the blessings you have received this year, 2022, and entrust the New Year, 2023, to the hands of God.
Does it surprise you that Easter, not Christmas, is the oldest Christian feast? Although the Christian faith is founded on the Paschal Mystery of Christ, the journey began with his Incarnation.
Saint Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14–19). It was his resurrection that gave birth to the Church.
In St. John’s Gospel (19:34), we read that when Jesus’ side was pierced with the soldier’s lance, both blood and water flowed, symbolizing the sacraments of Eucharist and Baptism. The Church is therefore the dispenser of the mysteries of Jesus.
Being a Christian entail immersing ourselves in the dynamism that began with Baptism. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It means dying to sin to live with God in truth and righteousness.
At Christmas, we celebrate the tender love of God, his humanity, and his kindness. In the Incarnation of his Son, God revealed to humanity a childlike way of living and loving.
The mystery of Christmas is welcoming Jesus with a child’s heart; it is becoming childlike for the sake of the kingdom of God. Evangelist Mark writes (10:15), “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” This is what God wishes to remind us of with the Incarnation of his Son.
In Jesus, God took on the poor, disarming, and humble condition of being born in a manger in Bethlehem to win us over with love and lead us to himself. C. S. Lewis puts it succinctly: “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
It is in the light of Christmas that we may understand Jesus’ words: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
God became close to each of us through the Infant Jesus. He came so close to us that we can speak intimately to him and engage in a trusting relationship of deep affection with him, just as we do with any newborn baby.
In the child Jesus, God comes without weapons, without force, because he does not want to conquer, so to speak, from the outside but rather wants to be freely received by us. God turns himself into a helpless child to get rid of human pride, violence, and the desire to dominate, and he wants us to learn from him.
Let us ask the Father for the simplicity of heart that imitates the Lord in a childlike manner. May this Christmas inspire us to be more courageous in our faith and love for God and one another, both now and in the coming year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
NUESTRA SEÑORA DE GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND MISSIONS, PEÑA BLANCA
FOR MORE HOMILIES CLICK >>>>>>