Homily for Christmas Day, Year B
Today is Christmas Day, the day we have long awaited. Christmas is a milestone in the history of our salvation. So, it is lovely to know that God is with us. The central message of today’s celebration is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we have every reason to be happy because the prince of peace is born. Our first reading from Isaiah finds its sphere of accomplishment in the birth, ministry, and life of Christ. Isaiah proclaims: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings the Good News.” Indeed, the good news himself is among us. The onus now lies on us to spread it. It is the good news of love, peace, hope, happiness, and salvation. Therefore, all who have waited faithfully, patiently, and vigilantly must shout for joy because God is with us. Hence, Isaiah calls us to celebrate Emmanuel, God with us. It is a call to adore and worship the newborn king. It is a call to be joyful and to spread the good news.
In our second reading, the letter to the Hebrews captures and presents what God did for us today in a spectacular manner. “God Spoke to our ancestors through the prophets, but in our own time…he has spoken to us through the son…He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature….” The letter to the Hebrews simply means that God has fulfilled the promise he made by revealing the hidden mystery of salvation to us.
Today, revelation has reached its climax. The hidden mystery of the old covenant has been revealed in the Word made flesh. Therefore, we need no further revelation because God himself has revealed himself fully in Christ, the radiant light of the Father’s glory.
The gospel of John concisely gives us the synopsis of what happened today, the divine incarnation of God: “The Word was with God…The Word was made flesh, He lived among us, and we saw His glory.” Today, God the Son has revealed God the Father. The Word that was with the Father as Spirit is now with us both as flesh, as well as spirit. What we celebrate today is love because: “…God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son (Jn 3: 16). We must be ready to share this love. God sent Christ out of love. Christ accepted to come to us because of his love for us. Also, Mary and Joseph cooperated with God to bring Christ into the world due to their love for humanity.
Today, we celebrate sacrifice. So, we, too, must be ready to sacrifice something for the good of our brothers and sisters as Christ did by leaving his heavenly throne to be with us. Today, we celebrate humility. We must learn humility from Christ, who, though was rich, became poor for our sake. Yes, he was born in the lowliest place, the manager.
Finally, today, we celebrate the reign of peace because the prince of peace is with us. Today, we celebrate hope because Christ’s birth is the hope of our salvation. Today is a day of joy. Therefore, let us: “Sing psalms to the Lord with harp, with the sound of music, with trumpets and the sound of the horn, let us acclaim the King and the Lord,” who is with us.
Merry Christmas!
Homilia de Navidad
Queridos hermanos, esta es la noche por la cual hemos sido preparando hace cuatro semanas. Hoy a nosotros se nace el salvador del mundo, el príncipe de la paz, el rey de los reyes y el señor de los señores.La buena noticia es sencilla, Dios ha cumplido su promesa a su pueblo, Dios está con nosotros.Y más importante, Dios nos ha mostrado una gran misericordia y amor. Con el acontecimiento de esta noche, hemos visto la gran fidelidad de Dios a su nosotros su pueblo.Nuestra primera lectura de esta noche de Navidad del libro del profeta Isaías, captura y se resume todo loque hemos logrado por el nacimentero de Emanuel, Dios está con nosotros. El profeta dice: “El pueblo que caminaban en tinieblas vio la luz grande, habitaban tierras de sombras, y una luz les brillo.”
La luz de Dios que brille sobre nosotros es Cristo, el recién nacido. El es la luz de las naciones y de todo que lo han aceptado. Y nunca más camináramos en las tinieblas. El vino para disparar las tinieblas que oscarizó nuestros corazones y a nuestro mundo.Mas importante, con el nacimiento de Cristo esta noche hemos empezado una nueva etapa de alegría, unanueva etapa de nuestra historia salvífica, un a nueva vida llena de esperanza, porque, Dios esta con nosotros.
Como Tito lo captura en nuestra segunda lectura, con el nacimiento de Cristo hoy: “Ha aparecido la gracia de Dios que trae la salvación para todos los hombres…la aparición gloriosa del grande Dios y Salvador nuestro señor: Jesucristo.” Por eso, también, vivimos en una nueva etapa de la gracia de Dios, por lo que Él ha hecho por nosotros esta noche.
Finalmente, nuestro debe en este tiempo de navidad es hacer lo que los pastores y los ángeles hicieron, alabar al niño Jesús, cantando la gloria del señor. Por eso, nuestro cantico hoy, y en adelante será: “Gloria a Dios en el cielo y en la tierra paz a los hombres que Dios ama.”
También, a nosotros consta, a difundir la buena noticia hasta los confines del mundo que hoy, en belén de Nazaret, nos a nacido un gran salvador. Alégrense hermanos porque Dios, nos ha mostrado su gran misericordia.
La paz se ustedes
Feliz Navidad