IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD...

John 1:1-18 

            Christmas is finally there. Four weeks of Advent we have been waiting and praying for the blessings of Christmas. And now Christmas is there. God is with us. What is Christmas if I may ask? Trying to understand what Christmas is, I want us to look at the three gospels we read for this Solemnity of the nativity of the Lord; I mean the gospel of the mass during the night, the gospel of the mass at dawn and the gospel we hear for this day mass. I think these readings are chain to help us understand the mystery of the incarnation; the mystery of Christmas.

            The scene starts in the gospel at the mass during the night where Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem for the enrollment. Since they did not find room in the hotel, they decided to pass their night with animals. This is where Jesus was born. The message comes first to the shepherds; the angel said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; behold I proclaim to you the good news of great joy. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you. He is Christ the Lord”. This same scene continues in the gospel of the mass at dawn where we see the shepherds running to go and witness what the angel announced to them. We heard that they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger.

            To help us understand better who this child is, to help us understand better this mystery of Christmas, the gospel for this mass gives us one of the best known, and at the same time, one of the most difficult passages of the whole New Testament.  Why is it the richest? The prologue represents a poetic summary of the whole theology of the Gospel of John, but also the whole theology of the New Testament. It introduces the main themes of the Gospels: word, grace, glory, light, truth, life. It describes how the word that was with god from eternity came into the sphere of time and history. It is a cyclic movement from God then going back to the Father. People might see it strange that on a day like this, instead of relating once more the circumstances of the birth of Jesus, the Church proposes a so complicated text about the Incarnation. By doing so the Church invites us to concentrate on the essential. What is this essential? The Church wants us to understand who this infant is, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And this is what we heard: In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One who came from the Father, full of grace and truth... To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…

The Church wants us to realize that the better way to approach the mystery of Christmas is to express wonder and awe at God who one day, on Christmas Day, decided that he could no longer remain God without enjoying the experience of being man in Jesus of Nazareth. God is so interested in us that he could not bear to remain God without becoming a human like us! The most important word that we celebrate today is “Dwelling”. This word can be translated as “Tabernacle”, which is a likely reminder of the (tent) set-up in the wilderness by Moses to be were God’s glorious presence dwelt for the benefit of his people Israel. John uses this word in his gospel to mean that the human Jesus is the new tabernacle; the new place where God’s glory dwells and is revealed. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus came to tell us and show us who his Father is. He is the new tabernacle, the new tent, the new dwelling of God in our midst. In that sense, Christmas invites us to take a decision to accept him as our Lord and Savior, a decision to give him room in our lives, a decision let our hearts be manger on which He lays.

            Christmas will be of little use if we refuse him a place in our lives and in our hearts. His coming to us will be of little benefit if we do not have the will and take the time to find him. If we are believers, our Christmas cannot become just a family feast, even if we celebrate it with great love and affection. Our Christmas should be to welcome him in our lives. Let us pray that this Christmas may draw us nearer to God, that God may become one of us. Merry Christmas to all of you. May the spirit of Christmas that is the great of love of God for us be kept alive in our hearts. May you all have a holy, happy and a meaningful Christmas.

 

 

 

A SHORT STORY

A child built a beautiful sand-palace on the beach.
Everyone, saw the palace, praised him and extended their joy.
The child was happy and said “yes, I’ve only done” …
Suddenly, the child heard a voice.
“Without me you could have not done it,” said the sand.
”And without me the sand would not have got the form, “said right away the water.
“But I did the whole time hiding behind the clouds, that my heat does not dry the water,” said the Sun.
“I’ve changed my direction and force that the sand may stand together” said the wind.
The child was aware of his mistake. He said “Thanks,”
My dear, we think we build things, we are great planners.
And everything runs just by our strength.

“No Man is an Iceland” says one song.

We are not alone … We do not live alone.