Christmas is one of the best and most waited seasons for celebration of birth of Jesus Christ into this world Once a year we honor the birth of Jesus Christ by celebrating a “holy night” with gift giving lighted trees, music, food, family and special visits.
But as we prepare to celebrate this very special night, we must be aware that it was not a joyous, happy day. In fact, some religious leaders and the Romans made Jesus feel bad for daring to give God thanks.
In today’s Gospel, we read that the magi invited Jesus to Jerusalem where they asked him to come to Bethlehem to be born. Jesus explained that God had told him that Mary would give birth to a son and that he would be the Messiah. At this, the magi asked why they did not go to Bethlehem and see for themselves. Jesus answered that they would miss the ceremony that God had prepared for the birth of the Messiah.
Next, when the Magi asked where the Messiah was to be born, Jesus said it was in Bethlehem, a town that no one had ever visited. As if this was the final insult, he told the magi to go to Jerusalem, get a star and follow it to Bethlehem to find him.
Yet, God had told them that they would have to be an example to all nations of what to expect as they journeyed to Bethlehem. Jesus tells them, “You will find no place better for a family to live than in a town of Judah, in the land of Judah,” since God had chosen him to be the Messiah. The meaning is clear, that they should be living as shepherds, tilling the soil, caring for the sheep and not take the limelight.
The shepherds were an obscure group, working under the stars, living in primitive conditions, living in seclusion and always ready to provide for their sheep. They were a small minority, yet they lived by faith, trusting in God and placing their lives in the hands of their shepherds.
The Magi asked the question, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” It is a sad truth that the shepherds had to wait until after Jesus was resurrected before they were allowed to worship him. It is ironic that when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, they were not allowed to offer their son as a sacrifice to God and instead had to go to a local judge who permitted them to offer him as a sin offering, along with lamb and wine.
It seems that the religious leaders did not want to be associated with a Jewish birth story. We don’t know the names of the magi, so we do not know why they went to Jerusalem. They did not actually know Jesus, and this may have been their way of letting everyone know that they had been following the star all night. Perhaps they had heard of Jesus from others. At any rate, it is clear that the Magi wanted to present Jesus with gifts. They were not alone, as many others did the same thing.
But to all these people, Jesus knew that God had a higher and better plan. The shepherds did not get the highest priority and neither did the high priests, the chief priests, or the religious leaders. As John reminds us, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve the God who made us and the God who calls us to service to humanity.
What does that mean? It means that as we participate in celebrations like Christmas, we must always remember that God is working in us. If we live a life of service, we honor God and we honor our brothers and sisters. We make ourselves available and we take the opportunity to help people who may be suffering, grieving or hurting. We help them to become fulfilled human beings who are more interested in helping others rather than themselves.
It is because of that attitude that God expects that we celebrate the birth of Jesus as a time of joy, rather than an occasion to make a fuss about our own enjoyment or the absence of it. In the words of Oscar Romero, we “know that it’s not a party.
It’s not about our personal happiness. What God wants is that the rain falls and the flowers bloom and that we feel worthy of living because we are alive.” It is those of us who believe in the good news of Jesus who are the ones who provide the kind of example that helps to keep us focused on the world around us.
Christmas trees symbolize
Christmas trees symbolize life. But a life is made up of many parts, and this day, Christmas tree is only one part of it. Every little part of life is equally valuable and should be celebrated. I don’t know about you, but there is one part of my life that has been neglected most of my life. And no, I don’t mean my family. They are pretty important. No, it’s not one of my friends either. Nope, not my siblings either.
It’s my schoolwork.
I always believed that school work was a distraction from life. That I would “look back on my life” and realize that my “investment in school” was the “biggest waste of time” I had ever made.
It turns out I was wrong.
For a long time, I was convinced that I could be a good “student” if I really tried. I had all the tools, the textbooks, the notebooks, the different worksheets, the proper study skills. All I needed to do was work really hard and I’d have a 4.0 GPA.
And maybe I would have been successful, but just as surely, it would have meant sacrificing all the things I loved to do, and all the things I was passionate about. All the things I thought were so fun and cool and interesting. All the things that made me happy.
After a year of college, I decided to go to graduate school. It wasn’t necessarily a choice I made because I knew I wanted to be a professor, but I had seen the passion and work ethic of my professors. I knew I had to get the best education possible so that I could learn the most and be the most successful teacher possible.
And while I am glad that I chose to major in a STEM field, my graduate career did not disappoint. It was packed full of courses on strategy, research, teaching, and teaching methodology. It was filled with conference panels and courses to get grants, awards, and book deals.
So I did. I worked really hard. I felt pressure to do well in the classes. I felt like I was never alone. My professors encouraged me and my teammates always looked out for me.
The only thing I was missing was the teachers’ insights.
When I was younger, I always took an interest in explaining the Bible to others. I loved it. The more the better! But some people just couldn’t understand, and I wasn’t allowed to teach a Bible class anymore.
I was a non-believer, basically. I didn’t really know what to do, but I knew I needed to teach people how to think. So I started a study group with a friend. I taught them what I knew, and they taught me. We worked side-by-side on each other’s beliefs and I learned a lot, too.
I am sure I was not a shining example of Christianity, but there is no limit to what a person can do when they believe with their heart and live for the Lord.
I hope the Gospel can be heard in your heart and that it burns in your soul. That way, you will spread it as I have always spread it.
This Christmas, I ask that you take time to learn about the Savior and spend some time with those you love.
When the Christmas songs begin playing, spend some time listening. And when those decorations are hung on your house and your front lawns, do not be consumed by guilt and let that guilt cause you to suffer more than you already are.
Hold your family close to your heart. Do not lose the Christmas spirit because of the arguments, the quarreling and the disappointments you have endured this year.
Hold on to Christmas for dear life because with Christmas, the world has a chance to find a little happiness and hope, and hopefully, return to the love and mercy that we all crave in this life.
Christmas will soon come to an end and those you love will return to their busy lives, back to school and jobs, and so on. Just remember that there is still time to share the Christmas spirit with your family and friends.
Just go to any church or Christian store and buy a gift card to help someone else. Donate to a charity. Buy a bell ringer a drink or some food. Spend some time with your family and make new memories and new friends.
A true believer in Christ has no fear of dying because of it. A true believer in Christ has a sparkle in their eyes and a smile on their faces because of Christ.
You don’t have to join a church to spread the Gospel and you don’t have to buy a ton of presents to be a good person.
With all my heart, Merry Christmas to each and every one of you and may you discover the true meaning of Christmas and share it with those who you love the most.