AT MIDNIGHT, LIGHT OVERPOWERS DARKNESS.

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD. CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS. YEAR C.
December 25, 2006.
(First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-6) (Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14)
(Gospel Reading: Luke 2:1-14)

AT MIDNIGHT, LIGHT
OVERPOWERS DARKNESS.

At midnight the birth of the Lord Jesus will bring the light of liberation to our world of darkness.

What Is The World Of Darkness.
It is a world in which man is the slave of the societal institutions of his own making; a world in which man's own creations rule upon and oppress man himself.

The Gospel depicts a socio-political environment of such characteristics: The interests of the Roman empire take prevalence over the interests of human beings; entire families have to be uprooted and moved to distant places in order to record their existence. The sufferings of Mary and Joseph along the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, their inability to find shelter, and the manger that serves as a crib for the new born Jesus are the injustices of a world in which even new comers are mistreated.

Every human being coming into the world brings the light and likeness of God, for we are the image of God. But the world of darkness will try to suppress the light of God in human beings either at birth, before birth or after birth. (Jesus himself suffered attempts against his life). This particular midnight, however, the one who is born is Jesus, the Son of Man, the one who liberates humanity from the oppression and injustices of the world of darkness.

The End Of The World Of Darkness.
At midnight, light will overpower darkness. The beginning of the greatest triumph of all times. At midnight, we, human beings, will have the same reaction as the shepherds of Bethlehem did. The gospel tells us that that night : "The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear" (Luke 2:9). Fear is a natural reaction in the face of radical change, but in spite of fear we, human beings, must actively participate in the change from darkness to light.

The birth of Jesus at midnight will turn our fear into joy because with him we can transform our world of darkness into a world of light. Now we can hear the words of the angel of the gospel saying; "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people... a savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10).

What Is The World Of Light.
It is a world in which all human beings truly possess the image and the dignity of God, a world in which God comes to man in order to merge their lives, a world which reflects the unity of heaven and earth, a world which can proclaim with the gospel: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14).

The prophet Isaiah announces this world of light, a world "vast and forever peaceful" which God "confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever" (Isaiah 9:6).

The world of light brings to man -Isaiah says- "abundant joy and great rejoicing... For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed" (Isaiah 9:2-3). The joy Isaiah refers to is the joy that comes from the fruits of hard work, the joy that comes from the victory which crowns a hard fought battle, the joy that comes from the victory of good against evil, the joy that comes from the triumph of the world of light over the world of darkness, the joy that comes from peace(1).

The world that the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace, brings to us is a world of liberation where all human beings are freed from all types of chains: Economic, political, social, intellectual, military, legal, etc. The world that Jesus brings is a world of liberation for both the oppressed and the oppressors. For the oppressed, because they have the opportunity to break their chains; for the oppressors, because they have the opportunity to put an end to their oppression against their fellow human beings.

The Extent Of The Liberation That Comes From Jesus.
At midnight, the birth of Jesus brings us the liberation of the total human being, not just of the "soul". "Soul" and "body" cannot be separated from the unity of a human being(2).

Saint Paul tells us that the coming of Jesus liberates us from the evils of the soul and of the body: "The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires" (Titus 2:12).

At midnight, as the Lord Jesus inaugurates the world of light with his birth, it will be up to us to join him in his efforts to bring and end to the world of darkness by eliminating all injustices, all inequalities, all exploitation, "all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14), eager to continue building the world of light.
_________________________________________________________
Footnotes.
(1) This is the Joy of Christmas. For instance, the joy of the Christmas family gathering is the joy that comes from the triumph of family unity over division, peace over conflict.
(2) The conception that Jesus liberates only man's soul, but not man's body is designed to perpetuate the oppression of human beings by other human beings. There is true liberation only when the total man ( soul and body, the individual and the society in which human beings live) is liberated.
The injustices and inequalities of the world affect all aspects of the human being (political, economic, legal, social, religious), therefore, it is evident that the liberating action of Jesus also affects all aspects of the human being.