HE BRINGS MANY GIFTS.

CHRISTMAS (MASS DURING THE DAY). YEAR B.
December 25, 2008.
(First reading: Isaiah 52:7-10) (Psalm 98:1-6)
(Second reading: Hebrews 1:1-6) (Gospel: John 1:1-18)


HE BRINGS MANY GIFTS.

The Lord Jesus brings to humanity many gifts at Christmas time. He "brings glad tidings announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation". He also brings the means to attain what he announces: He "bears his holy arm in the sight of all the nations" (Isaiah 52:7, 10).

Christmas is the time of liberation for a world subjected to injustice, wars, lies, sin and death.

The liberation which Christmas brings is, however, being ignored by those who fail to accept the Lord's coming into humanity. The gospel says: "He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him".

Those who do not accept the Lord Jesus have already accepted something else: They have accepted their rule of sin and death.

Christmas is the restoration of the order existing since the beginning of the world.
The gospel tells us that "in the beginning... all things came to be through him... What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race".

Christmas will continue to be an ever present revelation to the world until the world comes to accept the liberating presence of the Lord Jesus. Christmas will continue to be God's tireless effort to restore the original goodness inherent to human nature since its inception.

We celebrate Christmas every year because God's plan to liberate humanity from sin and death must be announced always. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that : "In these last days [God] spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe".

At Christmas we have the opportunity to receive Jesus and thus receive the gifts he brings, namely, the gift of peace, the gift of liberation from oppression and injustice, the gift of the strength to end all wars, the gift of courage to respect life, the gift of the ability to respect one another.

Those who accept the Lord's Christmas will receive from him "the power to become children of God" (John 1:12); his "holy arm in the sight of all nations" (Isaiah 52:10), the heralds of peace and justice to the world.

May this Christmas find us prepared to receive the many gifts Jesus brings.