OMELIE / Omelie EN

25 dic 2021

25/12/2021 – The Nativity of the Lord

25/12/2021 – The Nativity of the Lord

Reading 1 IS 52,7-10 Psalm 97 Reading 2 HEB 1,1-6 Gospel JN 1,1-18

Christmas Day Mass Readings

The readings of the Mass of the Day, and in particular the Gospel, are letting us overcome the feeling of longing that instinctively tends to come upon us every year during Christmas season. This Feast, which brings joy to all the Christians, is celebrating a very serious occasion. The Child at the centre of our attention is the incarnation of God’s teaching, defined as “the Word”.

What is God’s teaching, the Word? The word is what lets us share with other people what we hold in our minds and hearts. What could possibly God share but His love? Who can He share it with, but with us? We, who are so far from Him! And how can God make us understand Him, or communicate to us, sinners and far from Him, all His love and wisdom? Here it is, today, the answer: God is not only answering so we know, but also so we enjoy all His goodness to be transformed. The Child who is born is God’s answer to our question, is the answer to our search for the meaning of life, the answer to our desire for communion, commitment, joy, peace at every level. God is talking through that Child, His last and definitive Word. This Word of His is understandable for all of us, as long as we do not give our smallness and simplicity up.

The Child in His Mother’s arms, surprised as much as we are, is the “grace and truth” of God. By stopping in front of the Baby Jesus we realise we are in contact with the “grace” of God, so with all the love which He wants to show and give to men. And looking at that baby speechless we find ourselves looking at the “truth”, the beauty and depth of God’s face. Truth and grace are two words which means the same concept, the same gift from the Father who tells and shares His love.

Our attention these days, also by the help of the different cribs put together by adults and children, goes back to look at the way in which Mary and Joseph have welcomed the Son, and the way in which the shepherds have made haste in the night to bring Him their gifts. We too have thought about gifts to give to people we are grateful to, to give them a sign of God’s grace and the closeness of that Baby. Maybe we have not remembered of a gift to make the Child Himself happy with. He certainly does not enjoy sweets or complicated toys. He continues to enjoy the only true gift which is a pledge of our life.

This gift, instead of catching His attention, catches ours: it is the gift of listening. He is the Word. The second reading is reminding us of this: He is God’s Word, the Word which gets the great and terrible God closer to our earth, to change it, transform it and make it into a place of peace and harmony, a place of brotherhood, a house welcoming everyone.

Looking at the shepherds in the crib we are quick to hand over as a gift our ear. Let us listen to the Word that the Child is starting making clear in our heart: «let yourself be loved, love, forgive, understand, cling to me, follow the movements of my Mother’s hands».

Let’s start listening to the silent voice of the Child, and the joy will not be late to show up in our heart, the joy which Isaiah is talking about and the psalm is inviting us to express in song. “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him”! “Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise”.

The songs in these days are another gift which we give to the Child, or, maybe, are an occasion for Him to give us a gift, so through it our heart turns to tenderness, love, care for the needs of our brethren.

The Son of God who is taking on human flesh is a truly great and serious mystery, because it starts transforming men into God, the God who is love and lives by loving.

We welcome Him, with all the gravity, so He may make our peace and our joy permanent.