Homily

In a few days we will be celebrating the most important moment in the history of the universe: the time when God Eternal, the Only-Begotten Son, appeared in the flesh for the salvation of mankind. It is an event we celebrate but it is also an event that we can barely begin to understand. How is it that He Who is infinite and above all of creation can become a human being and share our mortal life, becoming one of us in all things except for sin? How does the Creator become a creature? When we stop to think about how this can be possible, we realize that it is a mystery that is beyond our ability to comprehend. How could God be contained in the Virgin's womb?

But there is another great mystery that is also beyond our ability to understand: how is it possible that Christ our Lord has given us the gift of His own divine life? It is like a seed that has been planted within us from the time of our Baptism and has grown within us from then until now. Just as the Mother of God carried the Lord in her womb, so we also carry the divine life of Christ within us. We were born as natural children, but we became supernatural children of God when the waters of baptism washed away our old natures and gave us a second birth into an everlasting life.

We carry the divine life within us, but it is so easy to forget that. It is not something we can see or touch. It is not something that forces us or controls us or makes itself known to us in some dramatic way. And so it can easily be ignored and forgotten as we move through our daily lives. So many other things seem to demand our attention, and the cares and needs and troubles of life in this world can seem so important to us that we neglect to properly care for and nurture the life which was won for us by the blood of Christ.

Much has been written during the past few years about how divided we are as a society and a culture. The recent elections and all the emotional turmoil that came with them are perhaps a good example of this. As people have given up their faith in Christ, they have become more and more restless, looking for satisfaction in places where no genuine, lasting satisfaction can be found. They turn to politics, entertainment, sports, sex, and addictive behaviors, looking for emotional satisfaction rather than substantial growth and fulfillment. So many people looking for a good high rather than a good life. Please don't tell me your pronouns, because they are obvious to me. But please do tell me why you are alive and tell me what is the purpose of your existence, and please tell me how you are living according to that understanding of your life in this world today?

And those are questions we should be asking ourselves in a regular way. How are we living in accordance with the divine life that has been given to us? How are we taking care of that life and nourishing it? How are we using the grace that has been given to us by Christ and how does it influence the way we see ourselves, our families, our work, our very life in this world?

The feast of the Nativity of Christ, the mystery of God Who became man, is a great opportunity to think and remember the great mystery of Christ sharing His own divine life with us. And as we think about that mystery let's strengthen our will to live according to that divine life because, my dear friends, that's why we are here. Continuing to open ourselves to the will of God and His loving way in truth will not only provide us with a merry Christmas; it will keep our feet on the path to eternal life.