説教
“Our eyes have seen His glory”.
A Christmas meditation on the Gospel
according to St. John 1:1-18
‘The Word became flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory.’ (John 1:14)
As your priest, I wish all of you a happy Christmas.
St Peter reminds us, ‘we have been waiting for Our Lord Jesus and His kingdom, trusting in His promises’ (2 Peter 3:13).
We are in these days really troubled and confused as things are unseen and unpredictable not only due to the spreading the Covid 19 continually, but also due to our increasingly troublesome world, accelerated by the most tragic war between Russia and Ukraine. These realities, however, make us clearly realized the truth that only things we can trust in are God’s promises as St Peter reminds us above.
Even in this most troublesome world, Christmas is the time we can rejoice because God’s promises are now to be fulfilled for all of us by the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ born of Our Lady Blessed Virgin Mary.
While I was in England for many years, at every Christmas midnight Mass, I, as the main celebrant, made a procession with the other priests, deacons, the full members of the choir and the Altar servers toward the Altar, holding a bambino, a little figure of the baby Jesus, in my hands. Arriving at the Christmas stables before the Altar I put the bambino in the manger with a great care and knelt before it; then I started the celebration Mass with the whole congregation for Christmas.
Every year at the midnight Mass, I was reminded of the time I first held a little baby in my own arms. At the same time, I remembered the old man called Simeon who held the baby Jesus in his arms when Jesus was brought to him by Mary and Joseph at the Temple in Jerusalem. Simeon then burst to sing, greatly moved with joys and tears as follows:
‘Now, Master, you are letting your servant go in peace as you promised; for my eyes have seen the salvation which you have made ready in the sight of the nations; a light of revelation for the gentiles and glory for your people Israel.’ (Luke 2:29-32)
‘The Word became flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory.’
At Christmas, we will be invited by Mother Mary to receive the baby Jesus and to hold Him even in our own hands in the form of the most Blessed Sacrament during the mass. In this way, during the Mass at Christmas, we will also be invited, together with Mother Mary, to stare gently and joyfully at the baby Jesus in our arms as Mary did at the very night of Christmas at Bethlehem.
At the same time, we will also be invited by Mary, together with the old Simeon, to receive all the promises of God and His graces in the baby Jesus. Then we may join Simeon to sing the same hymn as he sang with him.
‘The Word became flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory.’
Yes, God has become man and lived among us. We share with Mother Mary this truth even in the form of the most Blessed Sacrament wherever the Mass is celebrated. Since the first Christmas was celebrated, we have lived in the new era, living on the truth God has fulfilled His promises in Jesus. We, therefore, have lived as the witnesses of God’s glory together with the old Simeon, and above all together with Mother Mary herself.
‘The Word became flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory, the glory that He has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14)
God’s glory which has appeared in His Son Jesus Christ is, witnessed by Simeon, a light of revelation for the gentiles and glory for His people Israel. God the Father will save the world and make us His people and give us honour in His Son.
At the first Christmas what God gave to His people in His Son Jesus Christ born of Mary His Mother was God Himself with all His blessings, His promises and His graces and above all His Love. It should, however, be and will be continued and be repeated at every Mass at the Catholic Church worldwide until He comes again.
Indeed, the God’s truth and blessings cannot end at Christmas only, but will be continued because it is God’s will to give Himself in Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at every Mass.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
