The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Mass during the Day
(Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-5.9-14)
Who is Jesus? Where did he come from? These questions echo through the four
gospels. For sure, he is different from
any other person of his time. But the
questions press deeper. Is he just a “once
in a lifetime” personality like Alexander the Great, student of Aristotle and
conqueror of a vast empire or, perhaps Mahatma Gandhi, the non-violent
liberator of India? No, the gospels will
show that Jesus’ difference is not just that he is one of the most admired figures
in history.
In the gospel today John answers the pressing questions
about Jesus. He is not just a man; before
he was born, he existed as God from all eternity. In time he cast his lot as a human being to
enlighten a world blinded by sin. His
light dispelled the darkness of pride, greed, and lust that keep people from living
in peace. It has enabled us to seek what
is truly wise, just, and good.
Today, of course, we celebrate Jesus’ birth. He came into
the world in a unique way. His mother
laid him in a manger, certainly an unusual crib. But don’t we all have unique
stories of how we were born? One woman first saw the light of day on the
kitchen table of her home in Brooklyn where she lived all her ninety-five years!
More important than the details of Jesus’ physical birth is
how he came to give us spiritual birth. His
life, death on the cross, and resurrection engendered our coming to be as children
of God. Accepting him as our Lord, we have
been made his sisters and brothers sharing his divine life. It is hard to recognize this wonder with
Christmas lights, gifts, and foods swarming around us. But when we have time, we need to contemplate
it. Jesus was born yesterday physically
like us so that we might be born today spiritually like him.
