Homily for Christmas Day Mass (December 25)

Homily for Christmas Day Mass (December 25): Scripture: John 1:1-5, 9-14 

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"

As you know our Vietnamese are very much influenced with Confucius and Buddhist. And I remember a story when I was a freshman in college. There is a student asked a Christian professor how Confucius and Buddha would differ from Christ. He responded with a story:

“A woman fell into a deep hole with mud, she is trying as hard as she might to get out of the deep hole, but she could not climb out

- Confucius looked in. He told her, "Poor woman, if you had paid attention to me, you would not have fallen in there in the first place."  Then he walked away.

- Buddha approached. He too spotted the woman. He said to himself, "If she can just manage to get out of that hole, I can give her genuine help." Then He continued his journey.

- Along came Jesus. He spotted the woman. He was moved with pity. He jumped into the hole immediately to assist her out.

 This story illustrates the Incarnation. We gather here to celebrate the concern of God for each of us.

In today’s Gospel, We may wonder, why does John the Evangelist begin his Gospel with a description of the Word of God and the creation of the universe and humankind?

Well, we may think John’s Gospel might be linked with the beginning of the first book of Genesis (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3)?

The “word of God” was a common expression among the Jews. God’s word in the Old Testament is an active, creative, and dynamic word. We can find it in the Psalm 33, 147 like. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6). Or “He sends forth his commands to the earth; his word runs swiftly” (Psalm 147:15).

In the book of Jeremiah chapter 23 wrote “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29)?

In the Book of Wisdom chapter 9 also addressed God as the one who “made all things by your word” (Wisdom 9:1). God’s word is also equated with his wisdom like in the book of proverbs was written “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth” (Proverbs 3:19).  

The Book of Wisdom describes “wisdom” as God’s eternal, creative, and illuminating power.

Both “word” and “wisdom” are seen as one and the same. In chapter 18 Book of Wisdom wrote:

“For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command” (Wisdom 18:14-16).

John describes Jesus as God’s creative, life-giving and light-giving word that has come to earth in human form as he wrote in his Gospel.          “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus is the wisdom and power of God which created the world and sustains it who assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

Jesus became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother.

The Word of God took human form and lived on earth. Many have seen His glory, His glory as of a Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.  Through Jesus, we receive grace after grace. At first came the Law into the world through Moses.

But now, grace and truth came into the world through Jesus Christ. While no one has ever seen God, it is Jesus who is God and who is close to the Father's heart, who has revealed God the Father to mankind.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, a Child was born for us.

As you look at Baby Jesus in the manger, always remember that the fullness of God dwelled in Him.

In Jesus was the fullness of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. [Col. 1:9, 2:9] Those who know Jesus, they also know the Father for they are One.

The mystery of Christmas tells us that through Jesus, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit came into the world as One in bodily form.   As we have heard during Advent, the Holy Spirit came upon the Blessed Virgin Mary at her moment of conception.

Jesus Himself told the people repeatedly that He was One with the Father, that the Father was in Him, and that those who have seen Him, have seen the Father.  Through Jesus, the invisible Heavenly Father took physical form. Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled until Jesus commended His Spirit into the hands of the Father. [Lk. 23:46]  Baby Jesus came into the world for each and every one of us, so that we may be saved.

Christians never cease proclaiming anew the wonder of the Incarnation. The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

The Son of God worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved.  Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin (Gaudium et Spes).

Through Jesus, our living faith that is manifested through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church leads us towards the Light of God and the truth as our assurance of salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

If we are going to behold the glory of God we will do it through Jesus Christ.   Jesus became the partaker of our humanity so we could be partakers of his divinity (2 Peter 1:4).

When Jesus comes God is made known as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. By our being united in Jesus, God becomes our Father and we become his children.

Let’s give thanks to the Father for sending His only begotten Son to redeem us and to share with us His glory. And let us always be thankful to Jesus for manifesting to us the goodness and love of God.