Homily 476 | Christmas Day
Were you a little underwhelmed by the “Great Conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn this week? Ya, it’s not actually all that exciting to look at. It’s more the idea that is exciting. But we normally want more than just ideas. We want something that appeals to our senses, like a bright light shining in the sky.
Bodily experiences are important to us humans. Covid has certainly shown all of us how important a hug or just being together can be. When the Magi saw the star of Bethlehem 2000 years ago, they traveled a great distance to be able to physically be in the presence of the Christ Child.
God knows that we need these experiences. That’s ultimately why he came in person in our own human flesh, to be physically with us. St. Francis wanted so badly to be in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born that he created the first nativity scene, with real animals. My previous parish in Mound City, Kansas, created a living nativity scene four years ago that featured lives animals, including an actual camel… in Kansas! (see photo). Yet, as much as this scene helped recreate Bethlehem, we still want more.
If God knew enough to come physically to be with us 2000 years ago, we knows that we still need this presence today. This is why he didn’t leave us with just an idea of his presence. He left us with a Church, concrete and tangible, that you can see and find. Most especially he left us the Sacraments, given to us through that Church. If you want to touch God and be touched by him today, you have only to go to the Sacraments.
Like the shepherds and magi of 2000 years ago who hastened to see the baby in the manger, we want to be in the presence of God today. This is why Jesus left us the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Sacraments. Like the magi, we want to fall down and worship in the actual presence of God. An idea is not enough. In the Eucharist we have a gift from God that the shepherds and magi, and even Mary and Joseph didn’t have on that first Christmas. We not only get to be in the presence of Jesus, but we get to take that presence into our very bodies.
After encountering the newborn Lord, the shepherds and magi had to leave his presence. When we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, we take his presence with us and are invited to remain in his presence. I pray that you may recognize this greatest of gifts from God this Christmas, the gift of his presence.