Lec # 13-
The Nativity of the Lord- Dec 25th, 2016- Fr. Bresowar
Brothers and
sisters,
Merry
Christmas!
It is with
great joy that we gather here this evening to celebrate the birthday of Jesus
Christ in this holy mass. Roughly two-thousand years ago, the world changed
forever when God decided to fulfill his promise to save us by sending His only
son into the world.
We don’t
quite understand how marvelous this is yet, but we will one day very soon in
God’s kingdom.
The joy of
the world, pronounced by Angels in the shepherd fields that faithful night in
Bethlehem, “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for
you who is Christ and Lord.”
This proclamation from the Angels to the shepherds makes
me wonder what reaction they had? Could those poor shepherd possibly have
understood the implications of this most wonderful news? No others proclamation
would ever effect humanity as this one, and yet the message wasn’t given to the
emperor of Rome, who at that moment was the most powerful man in the world, but
rather was given to those who tend to the flock. Many of them were poor
themselves, perhaps they didn’t even own the animals they were tending to. And
yet, the Lord sent his messengers to them. How curious is this?
To be lowly, to be humble, this is how we receive Jesus
and this good news. The shepherds were nothing in the eyes of the world, they
were simple men, that worked very hard. They did not live comfortably, they
were lowly. They led and were responsible for the flock of animals in the
field, making sure they were tended to and not lost. They kept watch during the
night. Think about it, they spent all
their nights under the stars, they probably prayed the psalms regularly. Therefore,
they were the perfect choice to receive this great message from the Angels. Our
Lord, who is the good shepherd, has come to tend his flock, and to lead us to
safety, to his Kingdom.
“Behold, a savior is born to you.”
Maybe anyone else would have ignored this message, but
the shepherds did not, they went to see the child Jesus. And of course this was
no ordinary child they found lying in a manger, although by appearance, you
might not have noticed anything abnormal, but by faith, the shepherds arrived
and paid homage and did adoration, just like we do when we adore the lord in
the blessed sacrament. By appearance, it looks like bread, but by faith, we see
much differently, and we kneel and prostrate before the Lord of Lords in
adoration, just as the shepherds did 2000 years ago.
The condition to receive this good news and to understand
it is lowliness and humility. Pride is an obstacle to faith, an obstacle to
understanding. Our Lord gives us so many opportunities to be humbled so that we
might too receive the good news. He saves us from wealth and the pursuit of
power, and graces us with the inspiration to come here on Christmas so that we
might too adore Him. Faith allows us to recognize the messiah, the savior of
the world, wrapped and swaddled in the arms of his blessed mother and lying in
the animal trough.
As we venerate Jesus Christ, come to the world to save
us from our sins, let us look upon him in adoration, as the lowly shepherds did
and let us adore him. May God bless you, keep you lowly and humble, increase
your faith, and shepherd you to His kingdom. May the greatest news in this
history of the world take place in your hearts, and may you know His love and
forgiveness today and always.
Jesus has come to save us, he has arrived, come, let us
adore him now and until the end of time. Merry Christmas!
