Christmas Mass
at Midnight Year A, B, C
Readings: Is 9:1-6 Tt 2:11-14 Lk 2:1-14
"Today in
the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord". On a small mountain village, the pastor invited two children
to play the parts of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary in the nativity story. The
play was to take place after Midnight Mass. The scene was set to be in a cave
behind the parish church. The original idea was to use a doll for the Baby
Jesus, but the two children, Joe and Marie, searched for a real infant among
the families in the parish. Since no parent wanted to give their baby, the two
kids were so desperate, but never gave up. They end up praying to the Holy
Family for help. The story comes to a climax when the Virgin Mary invisibly
places the real Infant Jesus in Marie’s arms. No one in the village realizes
what has happened, but a miracle of conversion takes place in the hearts of all
present on that Christmas Night! As the Christmas Nativity play starts,
parishioners are in tears with joy and so touched. Before that Christmas night,
the kids just like the adults in the village had been mean to each other, with
lots of fights in their homes and at school. That night all that changed. The
kids who had been mean to each other become great friends and kind to each
other. They changed because the Baby Jesus was not just a story, but real and
born in their hearts that night. They had been disobedient and rude to their
parents, but that night they felt so loved that they promised to be nice to
their parents and to each other. The presence of the Baby Jesus had changed
them all as they watched the Nativity play. They were changed because they
realized that Christmas was not just about getting Christmas presents, but
about Jesus being born in their hearts and the hearts of everyone.
The birth of the new child –the Son of God, born of Mary,
miraculously transforms our darkness into light; our human brokenness into
communion with God and with each other. Like the story on that mountain village
parish, the event of the nativity transforms us miraculously into joyful
sharing community. Christmas reconciles us with God who is no longer God up
there, but God-with-us, Emmanuel. The miracle of Christmas is about God finally
finding room in the inn, in our hearts where Jesus can be born; it is about
opening our hearts so that Jesus can fill them with his life, peace and joy.
Christmas is about being like the shepherds who open their hearts to the Good
News proclaimed by the angel, and going with haste to share that good news. So
what message do we take home this Christmas? 1) Like the shepherds, let us go to Bethlehem and
see what has happened according to message of the Angel, who brings news of
great joy. "Today a Savior has been born" to us. 2) Before the
Nativity Scene, may we meditate with Mary and Joseph on the mystery of God’s
presence, and express our joy in the words of the Angel: "Glory to God in
the highest heaven and peace to people who enjoy his favor". 3) Christmas
is about making room for Christ in our hearts; making room for all people into
our lives, especially the less fortunate. 4) As we make room for Christ in our
hearts, may Christ bring us great joy, peace and true happiness. Tonight dear
friends, in order to be truly happy and joyful in this world, our happiness
must be centered on the Nativity Scene of Bethlehem, in Christ Jesus. May this
Christmas bring us true happiness, joy and peace. I wish you Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year 2013.
©2012 John S. Mbinda
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