At our Christmas Eve celebrations here at Holy Savior, we welcome all of you to our parish as we welcome you in our celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We welcome all here, especially our visitors or out of town guests. I hope you all feel a warm welcome from all of us. We are glad you are all here celebrating with us this evening.
On the night Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph arrived at the end of a long, journey. They had traveled approximately 90 miles on foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem. I know that from my hiking days that 20 miles a day is a very long day. And here Mary is traveling that distance, about to bear a child. Imagine their disappointment when they found out that the journey would not end with a comfortable place to stay the night. There was no room for them at the inn. Still, the innkeeper offered them something, which was to stay in his stable overnight.
Our joyful Christmas celebration tonight ends our holy season of Advent, our time of preparation and waiting. We join with Christians around the world to celebrate this sacred night. Tonight, God is born in a humble manger, in a trough where animal’s ate, in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem. Would we have thought that God would be born there? Who would have thought that God would take the form of this humble little baby?
The heavenly host of angels and shepherds watching their flock at night welcomed Jesus into the world. Not only did Jesus come into that humble manger in a small insignificant village far away from the great city of Jerusalem, but the first visitors, the shepherds, were outcasts in society, the last of the last. The shepherds were there to receive the good news of Jesus' birth because they were on watch that night with their flock. They were waiting and preparing.
Just as the shepherds received the greeting from the angel of this good news, being told to have no fear, that is what we the faithful are told on Christmas eve as well: “Do not afraid. Open your hearts to the message of the Christ child with great joy.” Out of love, our heavenly Father presents us the precious gift of his son, a gift of new life and salvation, a gift of love and peace, a gift of light and joy.
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” Isaiah proclaimed those words many centuries before the birth of Christ. Christ fulfills that prophesy of bringing light into our lives. Light dawned at the beginning of the creation when God the Father looked at the dark abyss and proclaimed: “Let there be light.”
Light in the most important force in all of creation. Without light, we cannot see and we cannot be seen. Without light, we cannot grow food, we cannot live, we cannot see the truth of the reality around us. Light warms our bodies. Light leads us to God.
Jesus, born in the manger in Bethlehem, brings a bright light to our world. He brings a bright light to our faith. In the midst of the darkness we experience in our lives, the light of Christ is there. That light brings us hope.
Merry Christmas to all of you as we celebrate the birth of Christ tonight, as we celebrate the presence of Christ the light in our world.
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