The Nativity of our Lord
The gospel on Christmas Eve and Day teaches us that the feast of Christ’s birth has everything to do with the real world in which we live. The prologue to St. John’s gospel puts it so eloquently: In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was God; and the Word became flesh and the Word has made his dwelling among us. This is John’s poetic way of saying that God has really become one of us; he has really assumed our human nature with all its blessings and burdens; he has really chosen to take on our blood, sweat and tears, and opted to deliver God’s news to us in person. And in a nutshell that very good news is simply this: we are loved; we are redeemed; the gates of heaven are opened for all of us and all because the Word of God has become flesh and dwells among us.
The Word is Jesus. May we take Jesus into our hearts and homes once more, may this Word never be far from our lips or absent from our deeds… for this Word yields a thousand blessings, including the Eucharist, his own Body and Blood, his Christmas present to us today and every day!