Christmas Homily - 2015
By
Rev Fr. A.
Christopher, HGN
I
would like to take the opportunity this Christmas season to reflect, however
inadequately, on one of the most magnificent message, indeed one of the gems of
the Catholic tradition; the tradition of sharing and exchanging gifts on
Christmas day. However I would like to go little further and reflect to whom
and with whom we should share and celebrate the Christmas meaningfully.
To
celebrate the birth of Christ, we take four weeks to prepare. The four weeks of
advent is usually marked with four advent candles. The four advent candles are
traditionally named as Prophet's Candle, Bethlehem's Candle, Shepherd's Candle
and Angel's Candle. If we look back the salvation history many have played vital
role to bring forth the Messiah to the world. Among them the Prophets,
Bethlehem, Shepherds and Angels too occupied very important places. They had
their own role and duty in announcing and accommodating the birth of Jesus and
sharing the joy and peace to the world. However all these four were one way or
the other neglected people or place. The Prophets were neglected by people,
Bethlehem was looked very low, Shepherds were always downtrodden people in the
society and the Angels were normally forgotten by humans. But all these four
either neglected or forgotten were included by Jesus in the history of his
birth. The people and the society whom they neglected were the most chosen
people by our Lord Jesus.
It
is a bitter fact that today the world neglects such people. Now I would like to draw your attention towards the
crib that we have made. Hope you all have seen the crib very closely. When we
look at the crib it really brings us a kind of joy as if Jesus is indeed born
in our own place. But whenever I look at a crib, it makes me a little sad,
because one of my favourite person, who really deserves to get a place in the
crib, is not found in that crib. Can anyone guess...? He is the owner of the
stable and the manger. No one remembers him. Joseph and Mary knocked the doors
of many rich and royal people to get a place for Jesus to be born. But no one
offered a place. Probably Joseph and Mary’s outward poverty is the guardian of
this mystery. If Joseph and Mary had looked as if they were rich, people would
have made room for them in their houses or at least in the inn, because of
Mary’s condition. They would have turned out other less important guests; they
would have found a way to keep them. Since Joseph and Mary looked poor, they
neglected them. But another poor person comes forward to offer his small
cow-shed all that he had for Messiah to be born. No one knows who that person
was..! Nothing about him is recorded even in the scripture. Why..? Probably
because he was a very poor man and might be an outcast. That is why no one
minded him and no one bothered to remember him. If it were to be a king or
royal rich person offered a place in their house or palace, I am sure his name
would have been known very popularly now and even his name would have found a
place in the scripture.
Friends, I am not trying to find fault or blame
someone now. But I would like all of us to reflect on this truth. This crib
belongs to that poor person, where as we forgot him and denied a place in the
crib. We just forgot and neglected him and did not mind giving him at least a
corner place in his own crib. Once again I am not here to blame anybody, but
trying to point out the attitude of the whole humanity. 2000 years before
people had the attitude of neglecting the poor and needy and that attitude has
not been changed very much even now.
This year (2015) has been announced as "The
Year of Mercy". To observe this year more meaningfully we should show our
mercy to the poor and needy. We have no right to ignore or neglect the people
whom Jesus chose during his birth. He chose only that poor man and his family
who gave Jesus a place to be born; He chose those poor shepherds to share the
first joy of his birth. The place to be born he chose was the poorest of the
poor. During this year of mercy we should and must show and share our mercy to
such poor people.
The real happiness is in only giving. Let's try to
do something practically on this Christmas day. After this vigil Mass (Day
Mass) before shaking hands with our friends and known people, let's go and
shake hands with unknown and especially poor people and wish them happy
Christmas. During your special Christmas lunch or dinner, give a seat in your
dining table to a poor man. Before sharing your colourful Christmas gifts with
your family and friends, share such gifts with outcasts, downtrodden,
oppressed, poor and needy. After the devastating flood thousands of people in
Southern part of India (State of Tamil Nadu) lost everything, even their hope
to restart their life. This is the right time to show our mercy towards them if
we really want to celebrate the Christmas meaningfully.
Christmas is a season of giving and the measure of
being a Christian is to show our love and care to others. True love consists in
what we give and do for another. Buying a gift is often much easier, but
sometimes just being present there and being supportive can bring so much joy
and happiness to others. In some case, presence and emotional support are
better than monetary and material gifts. So let us present ourselves along with
the presence of God to the people who are really in need of. In our given
situation today we could include just one poor person and give him a meal and
cloth him. That will bring the real joy, peace and hope that Jesus brought to
us today. This is how we are giving a place for the poor owner of that stable
in our crib.
Wish you all a very happy, blessed and meaningful
Christmas.
God bless you all.
Fr. A. Christopher, HGN
