Christmas Message

At our recent parish Christmas Party we took a playful quiz on the facts about Christmas. Most of us were surprised by what we mistakenly thought we knew the Bible said. It turns out, our common beliefs and customs of Christmas comes from other sources, most notably St. Francis.

As Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr writes,

“Francis realized that since God had become flesh—taken on materiality, physicality, humanity — then we didn’t have to wait for Good Friday and Easter to ‘solve the problem’ of human sin: the problem was solved from the beginning. It makes sense that Christmas became the great celebratory feast of Christians because it basically says that it’s good to be human, it’s good to be on this Earth, it’s good to have a body, it’s good to have emotions. We don’t need to be ashamed of any of it! God loves matter and physicality. “

This means God wants us to rejoice in who we are created to be, body and soul. Even in times of great turmoil, we are grounded in our physical being and in God. The Nativity Story reminds us our bodies can also be agents of bringing new life into the world, generating all kinds of creativity through our senses, thoughts, and movement, and yes, giving birth and protecting the baby.

The manger scene is a symbolic image of how God works with unexpected and undesirable conditions, how ordinary things like a manger that holds food for the animals can be repurposed to hold Jesus, the Bread of Life. The manger scene gathers all kinds of created beings in one place:  unmarried parents, shepherds who ordinarily stay away from civilization, animals, angels, the star, and the Wise Men who followed it to attest to the miracle of prophecies fulfilled and spread the news world-wide. This story shows how with God, all things are possible for willing human beings. 

Like Mary and Joseph, we may be surprised to discover God is calling us to do what others say cannot be done. We are likely to be surprised by how and when and where and with whom these things will come to pass. Like them, we can gratefully receive what is offered, and do all we can with it.

This is choosing faith in God’s goodness. The more we choose God’s goodness, the more we find God’s love and support with us, in us, around us and shared through us.

This was the Holy Family’s greatest gift. It can be our greatest gift, also.

Merry Christmas!

Amen.

Rev. Christina van Liew