Christmas Homily 2021,

 For readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122521-night.cfm

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

A very blessed Christmas to all of you again.

This is my third Christmas in USA, in Iowa. But my first with this parish. It’s a very special feeling, celebrating Christmas here and now.

When Bishop Joensen first told me about my transfer to this parish as Rector, I was very hesitant to accept because I am very young as priest, very new in this land and very inexperienced in parish management. The call was too huge for me.

I tried to say no, appoint someone more capable than I. But I think Bishop pretended he didn’t understand my accent. Honestly, I was really anxious and not ready for such a big change so soon. In obedience, I finally said ‘yes’, like Mary did when angel Gabriel announced to her about God’s plan.

Maybe that was how Mary felt too. She was so young, inexperienced and not married. To be the mother of the Messiah was a huge call. Was she ready for the big change? She would never have imagined that her ‘yes’ would later become a worldwide celebration thousands of years on.

I too, didn’t think that my ‘yes’ would lead to our celebration today. Many times in the last six months, I thought this parish would die in my hands, that we would not survive past each month.

Maybe that’s how some people have felt also, in this pandemic, that it was hard to live another day, that the world would collapse soon. But see, we are here celebrating Christmas.

There are still challenges ahead but God is with us. We may have failed God many times, but God doesn’t fail us, never did, never will. God is good!

So how should we celebrate this wonderful truth?

Christmas was a big thing in my home village in Kerala. When I was young, the youth would go around in groups, house to house, singing Christmas carols to every family, Christian, Hindus or otherwise. My siblings and I did that too. People welcomed us and gave us money. What excited us most was, if the families liked our singing, they would give us more money and snacks.

Our purpose was not about proclaiming the good news through our carols. We sang well, got rewarded and had fun. That was it. Are your Christmas parties and activities the same too?

Another big activity organized by my home parish was the Nativity Scene competition. Every community would build the nativity scene and display it outside the house of an appointed family. The best display would win a prize.

The parish priest and nuns would go to the various communities to see every Christmas crib. In the first year of this competition, my village community was not cooperative and only a few of us came together at the last minute to put up a very plain and simple Christmas crib, without much decoration. But we won the competition!

The judges felt that our display looked most real. Jesus was born in a very plain and simple stable with hardly any comfort or decoration. That was the reality.

For centuries, the Jews prayed and waited for the coming of the Messiah. They were expecting Him to arrive in a big way, he would be strong and powerful like King David, He would save them from Roman oppression and establish political peace and power back to Israel.

Finally, he came, but quietly and in poverty, without even a bed to sleep on. If Jesus were to be born this day, where would he be? In the brightly lit shopping malls? At the movies? In a lavish big house?

If you read the parish bulletin, you may know about the very poor families I have visited within our parish community. They don’t have anything much at home, not even a bed to sleep on. But they have joy. That is where you will find Jesus. Will you be visiting Him?

Why does Jesus come in such a poor state?

If we pay attention to the Christmas readings, we will understand.

Jesus was born in a stable, where shepherds kept the lambs to be sacrificed at the temple during Passover. The Jewish law prescribed that the lambs must be free from any kind of blemish.

So, the shepherds would wrap the lambs in swaddling clothes to keep them spotless. Baby Jesus was also wrapped in the same swaddling clothes.

This symbolized that He was spotless, free from sin and prefigured His purpose and mission, to save all mankind, not as a political power but as a sacrificial lamb to redeem us from sin. He came to be one of us, so that we can be one with him.

God chose to be born in a small town, Bethlehem, which means ‘house of bread’. Jesus is our bread of life.

So how should we celebrate this amazing news?

The true celebration happens in our hearts, not in the activities. But are our hearts distracted by the merry making, feasts and enjoyment? Are our hearts disturbed by unforgiveness, sadness, fears and worries?

Christmas cannot happen if our hearts are full of these and have no room for Jesus. God came down not to enjoy earthly life but to occupy hearts. The real nativity scene is set in the silence and simplicity of the sacred – the silence of our hearts, the simplicity of our life and the focus on God-with-us.

Celebrate by simply and silently adoring the baby Jesus, like Mary and Joseph, like the shepherds. God is with us. His Word is with us. His Mother is with us. Celebrate by visiting Jesus in the manger. Bring a bed there and bring home the peace, joy and love of Christmas. Amen.

Fr. Nivin Scaria