Father Bill says…Christmas Eve – December 24, 2008

Happy Christmas to you and yours – May this be a time of peace and joy.

The morning before the Christmas Eve Masses – so I am trying to come up with a good homily for the Masses this afternoon and evening – just got invited out for breakfast by a couple who have moved down south but are back for Christmas – so good to see old friends.  Now, I have got to get busy and get everything ready – I am fortunate – so much of the preparations are already done – so many wonderful people have been working hard the past couple of days – transforming the Church from Advent quiet and prayer – into Christmas joy and celebration.  It looks so great – I am truly fortunate – they are such great folks.  I have heard each of the choirs practicing and the music will sound wonderful again this year – all is ready.

 

I am considering using a poem by Jessica Powers (the Carmelite Sister – Sister Miriam – who is now deceased) – the only problem is it will not be easily understood by the children.  However, the imagery is so great.

 

Let me share it with you – “The Hidden Christ”

 

I went into the Christmas cave;

There was no Child upon the straw.

The ox and ass were all I saw.

 

I sought His stable where He gave

His goodness in the guise of bread.

Emptiness came to me instead.

 

Filled with my Father’s words, I cried

“Where have You hid Yourself?” and all

The living answered to my call.

 

I found Him (and the world is wide)

dear in His warm ubiquity.

Where heart beat, there was Christ for me.

 

I went back to the Christmas cave,

glad with the gain of everywhere.

And lo! The blessed Christ was there.

 

Then at His feasting board He gave

embrace.  He multiplied His good

and fed in me the multitude.

 

Here is my take on her poem – in order to find Jesus – she had to realize that the place to look first was not in a cave – or even in a Church – but in her own heart – then she would discover Jesus in the cave, in the Church, in the Eucharist.  For unless, Jesus is alive in our hearts, we don’t see well – we are too preoccupied with all that is around us – and never have the time to slow down and discover the Jesus who is with us – who longs to be born again in our hearts.  And interesting message –

 

I also want to touch on the fact that Jesus comes to this earth to be not only our Savior (which is important, of course) – but also to be our friend and our loved one.  When Jesus becomes our friend, then we will truly discover the Jesus who is always with us in our hearts.  True friendship means that I place someone I care about in my heart – that they are with me always – that they are part of everything I do.  So it is with the Jesus – who was born in Bethlehem so long ago – and is now born in our hearts each and every day of our lives.