The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) - Mass During the Night (Homily)
December 25, 2020 12:00 am · Sergio Muñoz Fita
I want to begin the homily of this Holy Mass by wishing everyone a happy and holy Christmas. I wish my words could reach everyone who finds themselves alone, sad, lost and tried by any cause! I would tell them, joining the chorus of angels of heaven, that tonight a Savior has been born for them. I would invite them to search in Bethlehem for that star that never fails and will lead them to the manger where, out of love for us, today God allows himself to be seen in the flesh of a newborn Child.
God is born for you. The Baby Jesus Mission has brought this message to the streets of many cities, even to other continents, to people of very diverse cultures. It is the announcement that the Church has taken to the ends of the Earth for two thousand years. God loves you. God is born for you, and when that beautiful child that we see today in the arms of Mary grows up and becomes the most beautiful man, God will also die for you.
In the second reading, Saint Paul spoke of a "holy hope." Yes, man can be redeemed. He who lives in sin and despair, can find the way of grace. Lost sheep can return to the fold of their Good Shepherd. Today we want to invite once again all the prodigal children who have left to return home. Do not despair. Do not allow yourselves to be overcome by evil. Do not let sin or the lies of the world keep you away from the Baby Jesus. The door of conversion gives us all access to a wonderful world: reconciliation, peace, true joy, freedom, glory, and eternal life. What could be worth more than that?
As you know, today we are revealing the new tabernacle of St. Anne. I deeply thank all those who, with their contributions and sacrifices, have been essential means for Providence to allow us to give Christ in the Eucharist a new home. Let us remember that the best tabernacle is not the prettiest, nor the most expensive, nor the best decorated. The best tabernacle is the one in which Jesus is most loved in the mystery of the Eucharist. In one of her revelations, the Lord said to saint Faustina: “for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth – the Tabernacle – and from this throne, I desire to enter into your heart. You can come to me at any moment.”
If there is someone here today who is not a Catholic, let me explain what we as Catholics believe. We know that in the Eucharist Jesus becomes truly present in the totality of his mystery: body, blood, soul, and divinity. He told us this, and we believe him. In other words: the Child who was born in Bethlehem and whose Mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger is truly present at this Mass. For us, Christmas is not a past event that happened long ago and that we remember tonight by looking back. Christmas is present: it happens now, it is happening in this Holy Mass. It is not naivety - it is faith. It is not a daydream; it is the certainty that the Word of God gives us. It is not an impossible, or rather, it is something certainly impossible for us, but that the love of God makes possible in the Eucharist.
Bethlehem is always close to us. The Baby Jesus will always be here, loving and close, in this new tabernacle, in the Eucharist.
I ask the Most Holy Trinity that this parish will never lack for people who love Jesus in the Eucharist. May the Lord always feel very loved and accompanied at St. Anne. May our parishioners imitate the shepherds and always come full of joy to adore Jesus who at each Mass is born for us. May we, above all, imitate Mary in Bethlehem and pour all our love onto this Child who gives meaning to our whole life.
Mother, you who have given us today, with the eternal Father, your only Son, Jesus, touch the hearts of all men so that they will allow themselves to be transformed by the love of this God who has made himself so small and vulnerable for us. Give us the hope of a new life. Break the chains that prevent us from taking flight towards the realities of heaven. Give us the peace that is the fruit of justice. The peace that is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The peace that, on this holy night, has shone for all men at the birth of your Son, Jesus.