The Word Became Flesh!

(Homily for Christmas, Mass during the Day)

          Today, with great joy and solemnity we celebrate Christmas - the feast of God's magnanimous and unconditional love, the feast of God's Self-gift to mankind. Christmas is God's gift placed in human hands’. A real Gift wrapped in swaddling clothes (Lk. 2:12). One may ask why this yearly celebration for a Child that was born more than 2000 years ago, but it is only with and through the eyes of faith that one can understand why this Child is perennially adorable. Christmas is not an event of the past, but more importantly, it is also an event of today and each day. Only the Word of God, welcomed simply in our hearts can reveal to us the mystery surrounding this Child of Bethlehem, and indeed, the pre-existent Word of God throws more light to the mystery of the grotto of Bethlehem. Interestingly, the readings of Hebrew 1 and John 1 reveal that we are not merely celebrating the birth of a baby, rather the mystery of God’s self disclosure and communication in Jesus. His coming into the world is part of the dynamic process of God’s self-communication. The Christian God does not present Himself as a supreme entity that resides impassive on His throne of changeless eternity, but He descended and stooped so low to take the human flesh. The mystery of the Incarnation is so great and attracting that no matter how hard one tries, it cannot be jettisoned. The mystery is so great that the great thinkers of all times could not exhaust it. Indeed, I have allowed myself to be drawn by the irresistible attraction of this mystery. And together with the angels and shepherds i have come to contemplate the real gift of Christmas: The Child Jesus (a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes). Come let us adore Him the pre-existent and eternal Word!

          In the First reading (Is. 52: 7-10) Prophet Isaiah proclaims the reign of God, that is being realized now by God’s mighty act. In the context of this passage, the mighty act is the return from exile. Whereas for us it is the Birth of the Child of Bethlehem: Jesus, as announced by this angelic hymn. Therein, Yahweh returns to Zion (v. 8) to comfort his chosen people (v.9), and indeed, his mighty work of salvation is seen by all men (v.10). The prophet announced the universality of God’s salvation. Behold, “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God”. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings. What is this good tiding? Jesus is the good tiding. And what is the good tiding all about? Is a tiding of peace, goodness, God’s presence, tenderness and salvation. The prophet says to Zion and to us today “your God reigns”. The Lord has comforted his people, Isaiah says, because he sent his only Son, the Saviour. Even the psalmist joins in this universal exultation: “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Ps. 98:3).

          In the Second reading (Heb. 1:1-6), the sacred author writes vehemently about the manifestation of God to men, not through Kings or prophets, but now through His Son. And that is the greatest novelty of the mystery of Incarnation. Jesus is the definitive Word of the Father, the supreme revelation of the Father. The writer of the letter to the Hebrew presents Jesus as the highest revelation and definitive Word of the Father (Okwu ekwuru ihe agbañwo). In the words of the writer, “In the olden days God spoke to our fathers in various ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son”. He says that the dignity of Jesus is more than the angels, because no angel was given a name that he was given, which name? “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (A child and a Father) Jesus is called Father, in participation to the Father’s paternity, “from whom every fatherhood in heaven or on earth takes its name” (Eph. 3:15), Prince of peace” (Is. 9:5), Jesus, Emmanuel. Therefore, all the angels adore Him, and if the angels of God adore Him, what of we humans. Let us join our voices together and shout “we have come to adore Him”. Behold, this passage of the letter to the Hebrew reaffirms the Pauline expression: “He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers- all things were created through him and for him. He exists before all things and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:15-17).

          The Gospel (Jn. 1:1-18) of today exhumes once again the pre-eminence and pre-existence of the Word of God, for, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”. St. John starts with the beginning because Jesus is the eternal Word of the Father, the Word that was used in the creation (Gen. 1:1-3), all was made through him, “ihe nile di adi siri n’aya diri”. Be that as it may, the self-revelation (Word, Logos) did not begin with the Incarnation event, rather with creation (cf. Heb. 1:1-14). St. John in his Gospel gives us a wonderful explanation of the Incarnation (Kai o Logos sarx ergheneto). The Word of God took flesh and became one of us and one with us. The word “flesh” denotes the whole of humanity, not just the humanity of Jesus. Not only that he took the human flesh, but he dwells within and with us. Little wonder, St. Paul affirmed “in him we move, in him we live in him we have our being” (Acts 17:28).

           However, though he dwells in and within us, He remains the Eternal Word of the Eternal Father. John affirms that He is eternal like the Father. He is the true Light that enlightens all men. He is the fullness of grace from whom all draw grace. He has power to make children of God all those that welcome Him. John tells us the type of reception the Word of God received: “He came to His own and his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:11-12). Behold, wherever the Son is received, man is restored to divine sonship. But unfortunately till today, in so many ways, God continues to suffer rejection in the hands of men, in our societies and in our world. The event of Christmas interrogates each and every one of us. If Jesus were to come today, can we make a place for him in our home and heart? As a matter of fact, he is already there standing and knocking at the door (Rev 3:20). As Joseph and Mary did, we are invited to welcome Him. Christmas is an event of God knocking at our door. If you hear his voice and open he will also open for you when you knock.

         St. John says that “in him was life, the life was the light of all men”. He further expressed that, “Light shines in darkness, but darkness hasn’t overcome it” and I will add, and it will never overcome it. Irrespective of the fact that evil still persists in the world today, all kinds of atrocities and unimaginable crimes, yet the fact still remains: “Light shines in darkness, but darkness hasn’t overcome it”. JESUS is our light, allow him to enlighten your life. He will continue to shine, His light will continue to beam. With this consciousness we join our voices together to that of St. Augustine in saying “Oh man wake up, it was for you that God was made man”.

          In all, as emanating from the Gospel passage of St. John’s prologue, the event of today brings three important factors to our consideration: ►Christmas is an event of light: The Readings resonate the theme of light, and the Baby in the manger is the Light of the world (Jn. 1:9). ►Christmas is an event of love: John in his Gospel says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but will have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). ►Christmas is God's self-gift! The real message of Christmas is that Jesus is a gift to the world. “You will see a sign: a child wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2:12).   

          Behold, the peak of our excitement and celebration today revolves around the fact that we are not talking about a sign like in Isaiah and Mathew, but today we are celebrating his presence in our midst. The highest point of God’s revelation is this passage from sign to reality, a real presence! Truly, he is present with us in this celebration in a special way through the Eucharist. At this altar the sign of a Baby in the manger is made present in the sign of Bread, no longer wrapped in swaddling clothes, but broken for the life of the world. And with his presence in the Eucharistic Bread he becomes a Gift per excellence, not just a Gift, but equally the Food for our nourishment. Thank You Jesus! There is indeed a knit connection between the Incarnation and the Eucharist, even the place of his birth Bethlehem means “House of Bread” and with Jesus it is no longer ordinary bread, but the Eucharistic Bread. We are filled with joy in the presence of the God who comes to save us and in the salvation he has already won for us. Just as Adam rejoiced when he saw Eve “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23), so too we rejoice in the presence of “the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), he took our human flesh.

          Brethren, let us assume the sensibility of the wise men, “we have come to adore Him” (Mt. 2:2). And really we too have come to adore Him. May we all join in this perennial adoration of the Child of Bethlehem, and as we solemnly adore and celebrate Him today, we joyfully acclaim “TODAY IS BORN OUR SAVIOR - CHRIST THE LORD”.

Come let us adore Him!

Come let us adore the Child of Bethlehem!

Come let us adore the Savior! Come let us adore this Child who is equally a Father!

Come let us adore the Emmanuel!

Come! Come!! Come!!! Wishing you all a grace-filled celebration of Christmas!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)