Homily for December 30
Octave of Christmas
Dec. 30, 2021
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, New Rochelle
“Grant,
almighty God, that the newness of the Nativity in the flesh of your
Only-Begotten Son may set us free” (Collect).
Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. The Son of God was born in the flesh, by the calculations of scholars, in 7 or 6 B.C. In what sense can we speak of the “newness” of an event that happened irrepeatably 2,028 years ago ± 1?
We
could say that it’s new in the sense that such an event—the unseen,
incorporeal, mysterious God of the universe really took on our visible, bodily,
everyday flesh; became one of us. No
Greek, Hindu, Norse, or other mythology comprehends anything like it. It was and remains a new thing, a unique
thing. God has come down to us—come down
not to display wrath or befuddle us with trickery but to set us free from our
sins.
We
could say that it’s new in the sense that Christ’s nativity is meant for
us. It’s new to you and me in 2021. The purpose of his birth, the effect of his
birth touches the men and women of today, touches whoever thruout the ages is
in need of being redeemed from sin.
Regardless of the experience of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and
magi, the Lord’s nativity is new in our regard.
So
we pray that this nativity of Christ our Lord may move our hearts and cleanse
our souls and turn us into his devoted disciples, his beloved brothers.
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