Merry Christmas!
Another day of multiple possible Gospels; the earlier Masses will hear of the shepherds coming to venerate and adore the Lamb of God, they who are “…the lost sheep of Israel…” (Matthew 9:36, 15:24) come to kneel before the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who lies now in a manger and will one day, for their sake, “…lay down his life for the sheep.” They were in awe of the angels and then of the Son of God; they could not have known the fullness of what they beheld. Yet Mary could keep “…all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”; so great was its capacity.
The later Masses will be treated to the epic poetry of John’s prologue: “In the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” What else other than the very Spirit of God could have inspired such words as John has written in the first lines of His Gospel! They can be cryptic, yes, and difficult to grasp, but are not such words and their mystery fitting for the mystery that is the Incarnation of the Son of God? And yet, as confounding as John’s words—and many part of his Gospel—can be, one of the joys of Christmas is that the entire, unfathomable, infinite, eternal mystery of God, while a single mind cannot comprehend Him, nor can a whole universe contain Him, we mere mortals could, were we there in Bethlehem, hold the Word of God in our own arms with all the simplicity, gentleness, warmth, and delight of holding a newborn child. Did your heart warm at the very thought, perhaps melt some?
Like Mary, reflect on the mysteries of Christmas in your heart today. Imagine holding that little Child. Indeed today will be a busy day for many but He begs you, in His newborn silence, in His soft breathing, in the sturdy grip of His perfect little fingers wrapped around just one of your own, to give Him the gift of your time, of even a few minutes. For He is the gift our God gives to you this day and, whether you realize it or not, that child will grow up to say something startling, something of which we are often ignorant or forgetful.
Just before He is betrayed, as He sits with His friends at the Last Supper, speaking to His Father He says these beautiful words: “Father, they are your gift to me,” (John 17:24).