HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST (CHRISTMAS DAY)
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
The newly born Jesus is singing for you my dear friends and readers today. He sings: A no m n’etiti unu, udo diri unu. Ano m n’etiti unu. Ano m ya, ano m ya. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men who are God’s friends.
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH; AND DWELT AMONG US. It is Christmas. It is the day of the Lord. It is the most important day that marked some continuity in discontinuity in the history of humanity. What do I mean by that? Socio-economically, the birth of Jesus inaugurated a fresh calculation in the global calendar. Thus, without any breakage in history, emphasis was shifted to Anno Domini. The birth of the Lord became an epicentre of the global history. Spiritually, the birth of the Lord marked a palpable step by God towards the liberation of humanity in the hypostatic union (the divine-human union in Christ). The oracle of Isaiah was fulfilled. Our victory over sin and death has received an insurmountable appearance. Humanity has indeed received the omnipotent back-up. Humanity too has received her greatest privilege of having God in the form with which he made us. This is Christmas.
The very first sentence of the Gospel Reading (John 1:1-18) summarizes the eternal status of the logos (the word) who is Jesus Christ. It is about this singular Word that the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews in the Second Reading (Heb. 1:1-6) states that God has spoken to us by a son as against the prophets of old. God’s manifestation of Himself to the people takes some form of progressive stages. Hence, the stage in which the word became flesh is the highest of all revelations.
In the beginning was the word...
It is John’s great idea that Jesus is none other than God’s creative, life-giving and light-giving word; the power with which the world was created and the reason for which the world is sustained. The sentence in the beginning was the word can be placed side by side with the very first sentence in the Bible: in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen1:1). By using the same formulation (in the beginning) as of the first sentence of the Bible, John tries to make us understand that the Word was not part of the created things. The word possesses the character of eternity. This Word which is uncreated never existed apart from God. The Word was with God. There was never a time when the Word separated Himself from God. And if there can be any person to tell us about and to lead us to the Father, that one person is Jesus the Christ who has never lived a life apart from the Father. The Word was God. This same Word that never was separated from God had every attribute that God has, in such a manner that anywhere and anytime, He is God. Jesus hence was so perfectly identical with God. In Him, we perfectly see what God is like. To have seen Jesus is to have seen the Father. When Jesus works, it is the Father that works (cf. John 14:10-12). And because Jesus is everything as the Father, He is a Creator.
Many people have failed to understand the power that lies in the words of our mouths. God’s word made the world. God’s word was made flesh in Jesus Christ. The word is so powerful. The Lord sends out His word and it melts every hardened structure (Ps. 147:18). With this omnipotence that lies in His mouth, the Lord made man, and breathed into him (cf. Gen 2:7). Since then, man’s word also assumed this power since he is also created in the image and likeness of God. How many times have we uttered bad words with our mouths? How many times have we cursed people with our mouths? The word of man can as well be powerful. Try your best to control the words of your mouth. The very best we can do is to utter words of blessings to people. Remember that the word made flesh is a blessing to all of us. Jesus is the best thing that happened to humanity.
The word of the Lord also guides and protects us. Psalm 119:105 unequivocally stated that the word of the Lord is a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths. Proverb 30:5 states: every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Hence, the word made flesh is pure and was actually made flesh to direct us, guide us and protect us. The Word made flesh who is born for humanity today has come to show us the way and protect us as we journey towards the light.
It is the visibility of this word made flesh that we celebrate this Christmas season. Christmas is the feast of merciful love. The love of God was made palpable through the nativity of Him who as son is God. We must imitate our Lord by loving God as He loves us and loving our neighbours as ourselves.
Christmas uplifts. The season of Christmas is here to initiate such grace of been sought after, of being made popular due to the way people regard us and believe in us. Christmas initiates a paradigm shift in the life of all; it raises a nobody to somebody, the rejected to most welcomed, the disregarded to most regarded, and the forsaken to most visited. It is not for no reason that the first witnesses of the nativity of Christ were the shepherds. Shepherds were those looked down upon, and they were not respected. Yet, they were the first witnesses of the nativity.
Christmas comes with a message. The message is simple. Christ, our king is born. He is born in our midst to save us and to ensure that the devil is completely destroyed. We must conform our lives to that of the king for a total crush of the enemy and for the holistic salvation of our body and souls.
Christmas must lead you along the path of reflection. We must reflect on the great mystery of the God-man’s nativity. We must remember that this great mystery has the foundation of God’s love for humanity. We must develop serious love for humanity and for the earth. We must care for the earth and must show some charity to our neighbours.
Christmas must make us to glorify God. We must glorify and thank God for the super opportunity He has given us in Jesus. So, Christmas should never pass by without our offering great words of blessing to God for this singular favour. We can as well learn through this act to thank those who were of help to us in the past. Saying thank you does not cost us anything, but even adds more to what we are. Happy Christmas, dear Friends. Felix Navidad. May the Christmas season usher new tidings to your homes and your lives. God bless you.
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