Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 25, 2019
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
In May 2014 Pope Francis came on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On the day of the Mass in Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, the papal cavalcade was running behind schedule. The pope-mobile raced through the streets of Bethlehem to make up for lost time. As we waited in Manger Square with eyes glued to a big screen broadcasting the rush of the papal entourage, we saw the pope-mobile abruptly halt. Pope Francis descended into the street and shuffled over to the massive concrete security wall imposed over the ancient road leading from Jerusalem to Hebron, via Bethlehem. Francis placed a hand on the wall and offered a brief, silent prayer. He then continued his journey to the place of Christ’s birth.
When I hear this morning that the shepherds “went with haste” to Bethlehem to find “the babe lying in a manger,” I am reminded of Pope Francis’s own hastened journey toward Bethlehem. Francis paused when he recognized what the shepherds found. Christ came to us in the discomfort of a stable and a manger for animal feed. In their humility, the shepherds received this revelation and so hastened to it. And because Christ always comes to us in humility and in our discomfort, Francis found Christ still with the people of Bethlehem when he paused at that wall.
Let us hasten to pause today in unexpected and even discomforting places, while celebrating the peace that Christ brings at Christmas. “For he is our peace” and “has broken down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14). Let us know this more profoundly because we, along with these shepherds, have paused and found Christ where he has come. Then Mary will treasure in her heart even our discovery of the babe in the manger.
Prayer
Lord, as we celebrate your birth, we echo the song of Zechariah: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free.” You come as our Savior to set us free, Lord. May we use this freedom to make your name known to all we encounter in our lives. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today is the feast of Christmas, when we recall the birth of Jesus Christ, who saves us all from death and brings us into the divine life of the Trinity. In Jesus, light has come into the world, and captive humanity, slave to sin, has been set free.
Nativity scenes abound on campus at this time of year. Today's featured image is of a stained glass window from the Basilica, which shows the birth of Jesus. Relics of the nativity, including pieces from Jesus' manger, rest in the reliquary chapel there. A life-sized nativity scene stands in the Grotto.
The Church understands four reasons why Jesus was born and became a man:
1. Jesus’ birth saves us by reconciling us to God. Human nature is fallen, and Jesus came to heal it and give us goodness and life. We are captive by sin, we live in darkness. Jesus sets us free and gives light to our lives.
2. Jesus’ birth reveals to us God’s love. God, the transcendent spirit and creator of the world, wanted to be united with us and joined our human condition in Jesus.
3. Jesus’ birth and life among us give us a model of holiness. Jesus lived a life of self-emptying love of God and neighbor, which shows us how to die to ourselves and live new lives of love for God and each other.
4. Jesus’ birth allows us to participate in God’s divine life. We are unable to attain a life of divine holiness on our own. In communion with Jesus, who is also human, we can become sons and daughters of God.
This feast is much more than a simple birthday party for Jesus. While we recall the birth of Jesus today, that one-time event that happened more than 2,000 years ago in a distant land is the best example of how God works in our lives every day. Jesus is the extension of God’s invitation to join our lives. Jesus is the proof of God’s love for each of us—God’s interest in participating in every aspect of our lives.
On today's Nativity, let us respond to God's love by welcoming Jesus into our lives and living as sons and daughters of God.