Christ is Born

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.  You have multiplied the nation, You have increased its joy; they rejoice before You as with joy at harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.  For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.  For a child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.  He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:2-7)

We are all hopefully well acquainted with the story of the manger that is given to us at the Mass of the Shepherds celebrated as the first Mass of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The shepherds while out in the fields encounter an angel who tells them that the Savior of the world has been born in Bethlehem; the long awaited Messiah has come to them.  Along with this angel, the skies are filled with the refrain of “Glory to God in the highest…”  From this point they go to see exactly what has happened and they encounter Mary, Joseph and the Infant Christ Child lying in a manger.

These are interesting words though, “To see exactly what has happened.”  We do know that when the shepherds came to the town of Bethlehem and found the manger that was described to them by the angel, then in one sense you could say that they found out exactly what had happened.  In response to this “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)  But we who continue to witness this scene today, must also know that the birth of Christ is so very much more.

The reading above from the Prophet Isaiah is the one that is read for this same Mass of the Shepherds as well, and we remind ourselves when we read it that the birth of Jesus Christ is the inauguration of the work of salvation which will be accomplished within the entire life of Jesus. 

Isaiah knows that the world is lost in darkness.  We too certainly know that there is plenty of darkness still to be found within our world.  But Isaiah tells us that in the birth of this Child, light will begin to shine into the world.  This Light will shine on each and every one of us.  The shepherds heard about this Light from the testimony of the angels.  They went to the manger and they encountered this Light Who is the Christ Child.  They then went about sharing this Light with others they encountered.  But even here we know that this is only the beginning of the riches to be revealed in Jesus.

St. Paul in his letters reminds us of this, when he says: “Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God Who created all things.” (Ephesians 3:8-9)  “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Isaiah reminds us too that in the life of this Child, the sin and evil which oppresses us, will be erased and smashed.  Although the shepherds didn’t entirely understand this, we know that this will be accomplished in our Lord offering His life upon the Cross and rising from the dead to bring us new life.  Isaiah also tells us that in the life of this Child, there will be authority and justice and peace.  Although we know that this is not fully accomplished yet, and it will not be fully accomplished until the second coming of Christ, that it certainly has begun.  Within the individual lives of Christians and especially within the life of the Church, justice and peace and forgiveness of sins is proclaimed.  Here too the authority of Christ is announced.

We know that there is so very much that must be proclaimed and believed concerning the life of our Lord, but the Solemnity of the Nativity is the time for us to concern ourselves with the start of it all.  It this event of the Nativity, God thrusts Himself into our fallen world.  When we go to the manger or come to the church, God thrusts Himself into our fallen lives and invites us to accept Him into our world, into our hearts, into our own individual lives. 

This Solemnity is a chance for us to stand in the place of the shepherds on that Christmas night.  And this reality takes place, not at the manger scenes within our churches or our homes.  It truly takes place at the altar, when Jesus Christ comes to the world again in the Blessed Sacrament.  When you stand or kneel before the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, remember that you are in exactly the same place as the shepherds over 2000 years ago. 

But knowing now so much more than they did then, we too are called to “return glorifying and praising God,” in how our lives are changed and in how the love of Jesus is spread through the building of the kingdom of God within our own lives and together within our parish churches.

Remember my brothers and sisters that at Christmas we have the opportunity to begin again and to allow Christ, not only to come to the world, but to come into our hearts and lives.  Let us behold Him present within the Blessed Sacrament as we celebrate the inauguration of this saving work of God.

To my brother Bishops, to the Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, to the Deacons and all the faithful of the Polish National Catholic Church, and the Nordic Catholic Church, I extend my blessings for a Christmas season that is filled with the love of Christ, and my prayers that the New Year will be one that is filled with opportunities to come to know our Lord better and to serve Him, each other and the Church more strongly.