OMELIE / Omelie EN
25 dic 2024 25/12/2024 – The Nativity of the Lord
25/12/2024 – The Nativity of the Lord
Reading 1 IS 52,7-10 Psalm 97 Reading 2 HEB 1,1-6 Gospel JN 1,1-18
Readings of the Mass during the day.
Today’s readings, in particular the Gospel, let us overcome the atmosphere of sentimentality that envelopes us almost instinctively every year around Christmas time. This feast, which gives joy to all Christians, celebrates a very serious event. The Child at the centre of our attention is the incarnation of God’s Word.
What is God’s Word? The word is what allows us to share with other people what we have on our mind and in our heart. What could possibly God share but His love? Who could He be sharing it with, but us? We, who are so far away from Him! And how can God make Himself clear to us, or communicate to us, sinners and far away from Him, all His love and His wisdom? Here it is, today, the answer: God is not answering only so we know, but also so we can enjoy all His goodness.
The Child who is born is God’s answer to our question, is the answer to our looking for meaning in life, is the answer to our desire for communion, commitment, joy, peace at all levels. God speaks through that Child, His last and final Word. This Word of His is understandable to everyone, as long as they are not forgetting their smallness and naivety.
The Child in the Mother’s arms, she herself bewildered like us, is the “grace and truth” of God. By pausing in front of the Baby Jesus we realise we are tapping into God’s “grace”, with all the love He wants to show and share with men. And by looking at that little one without words we find ourselves looking at the “truth”, the beauty and the depth of God’s face. Truth and grace are two words that refer to the same reality, the same gift of the Father who tells about and shares His love.
Our attention in these days, also thanks to all the different cribs prepared by little ones and grown-ups alike, goes back to consider the way in which Mary and Joseph have welcomed the Son, and the way in which the shepherds have run in the night to bring Him their gifts.
We too have thought of presents we can give to the people we are grateful to, to give them a sign of God’s grace and the closeness of that Child. And not only for the people we are grateful to, but also those who need to realise they are loved by the Father. Have we thought of a gift we can give joy to the Child Himself with, too? He does not need and does not enjoy certainly sweets nor complicated toys. He keeps enjoying the only true gift which is taking up our life: a gift that, instead of attracting His attention, captures ours: it is the gift of our listening.
He is the Word! It is reminding us of this the second reading too: He is God’s Word, the Word getting the great and terrible God closer to our earth, to change it, transform it, make it a place of peace and mercy, a place of sharing, a home welcoming for everyone. By looking at the shepherds of the crib we will be fast to hand over as a gift our ears. Let us listen to the Word the Child begins making heard in our hearts: «Let yourself be loved, love, forgive, understand, hang on to me, follow the movements of my Mother’s hands»!
By pausing to listen to the Child’s still silent voice, the joy in our heart will not take much to show up, the joy the prophet Isaiah is talking about and the Psalm is inviting us to express by singing. “Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord comforts his people”! “Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise!”.
The songs in these days are also another gift we present to the Child, or, maybe, are an opportunity for Him to give us a present, because through them our heart opens up to tenderness, love, loving attention to the brethren’s needs.
God’s Son who takes on human flesh is truly a great and serious mystery, because the transformation of the man into God begins, in that God who is love and lives loving.
We welcome Him, in all seriousness, so He may be able to make our peace and our joy lasting.
In primo piano
OMELIE / Omelie EN
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