Weekly Homily of Father Mraz

Christmas – B

December 24-25, 2011

Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate a magical and miraculous event, an event that has inspired artists and composers, children and adults for centuries and millennia. An event portrayed in stained glass windows and paintings, in poetry and children’s plays, in movies and operas across every culture, tradition, race and language. Ancient hymns, traditional centuries old carols and modern songs sing of the event in every facet of the story. Families gather old & young, friends seek each other, enemies speak, wars cease. What a wonderful and glorious and grace filled event speaking of love beyond what science or human experience can measure or imagine. God comes down from heaven and becomes man. God takes flesh and blood to dwell with His people. The Holy Spirit comes down upon a simple peasant woman and the Son of God takes flesh and blood in her womb. He not born in a distant palace amidst luxury and privilege but in a cave used as a stable in a small town of ordinary citizens. Poor local shepherds as well as rich foreign wise men are invited to be His guests. The invitation comes from the hosts of Angels and from the hosts of the stars of Heaven calling all to His manger bed as He is here for all, rich and poor, citizen and foreigner, educated and illiterate. All can find Him if they look with eyes of faith and have the wisdom to come and see. Jesus is Immanuel = God IS with us.

How many go through the days of their lives wondering if there is a God, wondering if God cares about them if He does exist, wondering where is He in their busy lives. Where can we go to find the child, the man, the savior in the flesh, dwelling with us in human & divine flesh & blood. Where does heaven and earth meet? Where does time meet eternity today? Where do angels sing the praise of God as they did to the Shepherds “Glory to God in the Highest and peace to people of good will?” Where is the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep that the shepherds sought out and found? Where can we find the holy one upon the throne of the lap of His mother as did the wise men to offer our gifts of the work of our hands to be blessed and changed into more than symbols of - God in incense, creation in gold and mortal man in myrrh? Where can the work of our hands which we present to the Child and His Mother be passed through the hands of God to become not a symbol of the God-man but become the Creator, Savior, King and God Himself in His very flesh and blood? Where can we go to find the God to whom the Seraphim sing their song of praise of: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, Heaven and Earth are full of your Glory” around His Heavenly throne as the saints fall down in homage. Where do we find the Word spoken by the Father at creation which brought everything good into being? Where does the word become flesh today as He did in Mary and in the Holy Family? Where do we find the one whom John the last prophet pointed out as the one we should leave everything for and go and follow?? Where is the one whom the foreign Roman Centurion knew to go to, to have hope of healing for his beloved servant but whom he knew he was not only not worthy to approach him directly, nor to even invite Him to come under his roof, but who had the faith that His word was powerful enough to heal at a distance? Where is the one whom the dying look to, to have hope in a future, and not just a future but an eternal future of joy? Where is the one whom the strays and wanderers look to for mercy as did the prodigal son to be brought back home to a wedding feast of eternal love? Where can we go to find the child of the Christmas story, the Christmas event, the event that has inspired for millennia? Where is the person who has brought hope for all no matter who they may be, rich or poor, saint or sinner, strong or weak, sick or healthy, alive or dead?

The way this event touches hearts of millions, there must be somewhere that even 2000 years later we can find Him as did the shepherds and wise men to give us hope, mercy and love today. There must be someplace where we can be part of His wedding feast of love today. There must be someplace where we can experience the healing love of His sacrifice of Himself for us. There must be someplace where we can hear His words of guidance and hope and blessing as did the crowds long ago. There must be someplace where we can touch Him and He can touch us. There must be someplace where we can go to be in communion with this innocent child, this God-man, this Savior of the world. Where do we find Him today? Where is our hope? Where is God’s redeeming mercy and love? Where is the place where all are welcome, where angels and men meet before Him? Where we are family with the Holy Family? Where all of faith in past history, in the present throughout the world, and the hope for the future unite as one family? Where do we find Jesus now?

He is in Christmas! You may say: “Yes, Father we know the celebration and holiday but where is Jesus?” I reply: “He is in Christmas!” What does the word Christmas come from? Christ’s Mass! The Jesus who was born and who brings peace to a troubled world, the Jesus who brings love to rich and poor, saint and sinner, the Jesus who is the word of God made flesh, The Jesus who gave his life in ministry and in His passion, death and resurrection has not left us! If we open our eyes of faith as did the shepherds and the wise men to look beyond a manger in a cave we find the one worshiped by hosts of angels and the hosts of heaven, the Lord God of Hosts of whom Heaven and Earth are full of His glory. Where is Jesus now, Is he far away in another time or place? NO He is right here in our midst. He is Emmanuel = God IS with us now! He is in Christmas, Christ’s Mass thought out the year, throughout time, throughout the world in every large city and small village. He is not far away but with us NOW!

As we looked at the new translation of the Mass and studied the Mass we take so much for granted we learned here is where Heaven and Earth unite, here is where past, present and future, time and eternity meet and become one. Here we come to join the shepherds at the first Christmas, as well as the ancient patriarchs and prophets who looked forward to His coming, as well as the wise and faith filled saints throughout the ages who celebrated His coming.

Here at the Mass we seek God’s mercy and find it as we come before Him. Here we join with the Christmas Angels in their song of praise to the Shepherds “Gloria to God in the Highest and peace to people of good will.” Here at the Mass we hear the word of God spoken at creation and though out time to teach us and guide us to all goodness and peace. Here we are encouraged to not just listen, but to live what we hear. Here we bring our needs, frustrations and problems and put them at the feet of Jesus to be our remedy, help and strength. Here we bring the gifts of the Earth which God and given to us - which have passed through our hands and been improved - to represent ourselves, our time, talents and abilities and here we give them to God to unite to His divinity to become Jesus himself. Here, as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, a human creature of this world, and took flesh and blood in her – so in like manner, the Holy Spirit comes down upon our human offerings and makes them the body and blood of Jesus. This is the same Jesus in the womb of Mary, the same Jesus worshiped by the angels, shepherds and wisemen. Here we are present at Jesus’ greatest gift of love ever given, we are present with all the saints and sinners at His sacrifice of Himself to the Father on the Cross - to make us saints and open heaven up for us so the dying and the dead have hope of eternal happiness. Here we join with all the people who come to the manger with faith throughout the world and throughout time to be united in communion with Jesus as one family, one Holy Family, with God as our Father, Mary as our Mother, Jesus as our Brother, St. Joseph as our protector and the saints as our Brothers and sisters. Here though unworthy as the Centurion we are invited to be part of the wedding feast of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Here we are married to God who is love itself, and we consummate that marriage in communion as we become one flesh and blood with God in the Body of Christ. Here as the Body of Christ we are sent forth to bring hope, to bring love, to bring peace to the world by being the Christ we have received to others and by seeing Christ in others with the eyes of faith as did the shepherds and wise men saw Him.

Why does the Christmas story touch so many lives throughout the world and through out time? Because it is not just a nice story it is a real event, it is a real person, whom we can meet, be loved by and we can love every day in Christmas, Christ’s mass, if only we just take the time to hear the whispers of the angels to seek Him out, and fix our eyes on He whom the stars who point to as their creator, then with simple faith and deep wisdom we can find the God who comes down from heaven and who seeks us out. We too can find Jesus present in His flesh and blood in the Mass. A blessed Christmas to all, a blessed Christ’s Mass to all!