First, I want to wish all of you a holy and merry Christmas! To our visitors: Thank you for joining our community in prayer. For our parishioners: thank you for making St. Michael your spiritual family.
As I was reflecting on this beautiful celebration, I wondered what we need to hear this particular Christmas. Some of you are pondering questions about the future, especially in the area of employment. Others may be struggling with loneliness or discouragement while dealing with illness or injury. Another common struggle seems to be family members who are estranged by past hurts and grudges. Most painfully, some of you are celebrating your first Christmas without a loved one. In these moments, we tend to question our own value and whether or not God cares about us. More than ever, we need to remember that our worth comes from God. It is who we are before God that matters, not how much we make, what we have accomplished or how fragile our family may be. He loves us for who we are, not for what we do. All good parents love their children for who they are, not for what they do. Our Heavenly Father's love for us is infinitely greater than the love of even the best of parents.
He loves us with an unconditional love, a love beyond our comprehension. How can we understand that the Creator of the Universe loves us so much to send this own Son to become one of us? It did not matter what roadblocks we put up as a people or as individuals. His love penetrated the barriers created by our hostility. We have been given the Gift of His Presence in our world and in our lives. This is what we celebrate on Christmas. I would like to offer an analogy of God's love, using a situation that many families experience.
The mother of a family could never be at peace with the fact that the third of her five grown children would be absent for Christmas as he was for all family events. The father had been more concerned with his wife's grief, than the constant ache he felt within himself. Their other four children had remained close to their parents. But child #3, Robert, was completely estranged from the family. No one knew why. All seemed well when he went off to college. It was difficult to see him because he was on the other coast, three thousand miles away, but they knew he was where he wanted to be and was doing well in school. Then the silence started. They didn't hear from him. When they called, he was all-business.
When they asked what was wrong, he simply said he was too busy to keep in touch. Then he became hostile. He wouldn't even answer their calls. He was on a scholarship and worked for his other expenses; so he did not have to rely on home for financial support. He didn't need his parents, at least not in his self-absorbed mind. When it came time to graduate, he sent his entire family a letter merely stating, "I'm getting my degree this Spring. I'd rather you not come.” His brothers and sisters were furious with the way he was treating his family. They tried to talk to him, but they were dealt with in the same manner as Mom and Dad. Years went by. Now Robert was in his late twenties. That's when a social worker called his parents.
Robert had dependency problems, heroin to be exact, and needed to be in a recovery program. He had no insurance or money for it. Mom and Dad researched and found the best program available, but that program would demand a lot of money and also the involvement of the immediate family. Mom and Dad could have easily picked a different program, but they wanted the best for their son, even if it demanded that they take a second mortgage out on their house, which they did. It was also clear to them that Robert needed them to be there with him, even if he refused to recognize this need. Mom left her job and moved out to the other coast. Dad visited regularly. Robert experienced how much his parents loved him. Their love was deeper than he ever imagined. All good parents would look for ways to do what Robert’s parents did. Perhaps some of the parents here have sacrificed themselves and their futures for a rebellious child. If anyone were to ask you, "Why would you make so many sacrifices for a child who rejected you?” you would respond, "Because he is our child. Our love is stronger than his rejection.”
By analogy, this is why our Heavenly Father sent the Word to become one of us. As a people and as individuals we rejected God. We had become too proud to need Him, too busy to give Him a place in our lives and, sadly, as a result, too empty to have meaningful lives. We need to experience His Presence to return to His Love. We need to experience His sacrifice to return to His Life. That is why He became one of us. The Christmas miracle is infinitely more than a mere event that took place 2,000 years ago. Jesus comes today and every day seeking to enter our lives. He comes because God has a deep love for every single one of us. You are loved by God. I am loved by God. His love is infinitely more powerful than our rejection. His love is unconditional. You may think, "Father, you have no idea of the ways I've rejected God.” Why do we do that? Why do we think that our rejection of God is more powerful than His Love? Why would Robert or any child who rejects his parents think his rejection was more powerful than their love. Why would we think that our rejection of God is more powerful than the Almighty Lover. His love is stronger than our sins, infinitely stronger. He wants to enter our lives. He forgives us. We need to forgive ourselves. Christmas is the celebration of the Presence of God among us in a way that we can experience, as one of us. His name is Emmanuel, a name that means God is with His people. He is with us, right here, right now, forever.
He is not a spiritual entity hidden in the great unknown. He has become a human being with whom we can establish a real relationship. Tonight is the opportunity to renew that relationship, especially if we have neglected it for a long time. May you experience the miracle of Christmas, which is the manifestation of God's Love for you. Believe in this love. Be transformed by this love. And resolve to never run from it again. May God bless you abundantly in this happy season!
