Fresh Dew Media

 CHRISTMAS: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: His name is Emmanuel – God is with us

Readings: 1st Is 52:7–10; 2nd Heb 1:1–6; Gosp. Jn 1:1–18

My dearest brothers and sisters, Happy Christmas. On that very night of the birth of Christ, the heavens were filled with joy, the earth was filled with the glory of God, the angels sang with joy to the glory of God, the shepherd could not hide their admiration of the marvellous presence of God, the sheep knelt and welcomed Christ with good cheers, and the stars danced and shined like never before. It was indeed a night of grace.

So, we have every reason to rejoice, for the Savior has come to visit us again. His name is Emmanuel: God is with us. God has revealed to us what many prophets, kings, and wise men longed to see but could not.

From the time Adam and Eve sinned against God and fell short of His glory and love, God started searching for a way to come close to man again, let us say to restore man to his glory. Through many ways he revealed himself to the people of old and spoke with them according to the second reading of today. Through many means he prepared them for the coming of his son.

Finally, in our own time, the appointed time, he has revealed himself to us and spoken to us through his Son. The birth of Christ was the fullness of God’s revelation to humanity, the full manifestation of the love and glory of God to men, and the manifestation of the light that dispels the darkness of sin and death.

With the birth of Christ, God has broken the reign of sin; he has dispelled the power of darkness and restored us back to his friendship. We have become his loving children once more.

My dearest people, Christ now lives in our midst. God, in the birth of His Son, took flesh and lived among us. This is the mystery of Incarnation. He is no longer far from our reach. He has come down from heaven to be close to all of us. He is living with you; He is living with me. His name is Emmanuel – God is with us.

If God is close to us now, it means he will feel what we feel and know our problems too. Therefore, let us not be afraid to call him our brother and also invite him into our lives.

However, in the Gospel of today, John told us that He came to his people, and his own didn’t welcome him. Let us ask ourselves some questions. Could it be true that there are some people among us who still find it very difficult to welcome Christ into their private lives? Are there people who still prefer to live according to their own designs and not according to the teaching of Christ? Who are those in our midst that can be classified as ‘his own that refused to welcome him?’ We may not know for sure; it could be any person. But what is clear is that we refuse to welcome Christ when we hate other people, because Christ is the author of love. We reject Christ when we fail to forgive others, because Christ is the God of mercy. We reject Christ when we open ourselves to sin, because Christ is the master of holiness. We reject Christ when we fail to be kind to others, because Christ is the prince of kindness. This Christmas gives all those who have been rejecting Christ a great opportunity to change their lives and welcome Him; He is the light and joy of the world.

The Gospel of today equally told us that to those who accepted him, he gave the power to become the sons and daughters of God. Dearest brothers and sisters, Christ is knocking at the door of your hearts. His name is Emmanuel – God is with us. He wants to be with you. He wants to be with me too. He wants to make you heir to the kingdom of God. Let us, therefore, open our hearts and homes and welcome him.

Happy Christmas to you and your family.  

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima