25/12/2008 - The Nativity of the Lord
Night Isaiah 9,1-3.5-6 Ps 95/96 Titus 2,11-14 Luke 2,1-14
Morning Isaiah 62,11-12 Ps 96/97 Titus 3,4-7 Luke 2,15-20
Day Isaiah 52,7-10 Ps 97/98 Hebrews 1,1-6 John 1,1-18
I would like to stop on the readings of the Mass in the morning, readings that
proclaims the Savior already present in the world, already working salvation
and joy to humanity.
St. Paul turns to Titus, calling him by an affectionate expression, "my
son", and explains to him the meaning of the coming of Jesus. He tells
him: "When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not
because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy"! The
birth of Jesus is the kindness and generous love of God for humanity: it's an
event that changes our history. In the history of men, made of selfishness and
sufferings, comes in with power God's love, and this love saves us because it
replaces our selfishness with which the heart of man is full, selfishness that
creates endless injustices and hence sufferings at all levels. God saves us
by his love, and this love appears to us in the person of Jesus. Already the
prophet Isaiah, proclaiming the coming of the Lord, gives hope and trust. His
presence will change the dispersed and hopeless Jews into "holy people,
the redeemed of the Lord". This people will be important for all the peoples
on earth, so much that these will look for it, because only in it true love
and future security is to be found: because of this it will be called "Frequented"
the "daughter of Sion", that is the city of Jerusalem, a city that
personifies the whole people of God.
These are not beautiful ideas, nor dreams of illusion. This is the description
that Luke left us: the shepherds, persons who live with little, in poverty,
despised by the world, courageously go and see what the angels had told them.
Will it be an illusion? Will it be a mirage like many others in the past? "They
went in haste": going they know that they are obeying God, to that God
who often, through the prophets, has presented himself like one of them, a shepherd
of the sheep! They found "Mary and Joseph and the infant", nothing
extraordinary. They find a small family, like many other poor families. The
infant was lying in a manger, like their infants, even if the parents were not
shepherds like them. Nothing special, even so all was according to the word
received from on high, from the angels. The Word becomes the Flesh, the Word
proclaimed becomes Word incarnate! This simple fact becomes amazement, silence,
joy. Who listens to stories of facts in their simplicity is amazed, because
it is understandable that one is in the presence on an event will and given
by God!
The Mother, who wrapped in squalling clothes and who knows what others don't
know, stays in silence: she, in silence, contemplates other words that only
she heard and other events that only she has lived, and comes to conclusions
that only she can understand: she guards them in her heart, but expresses them
on her face that reflects the peace and joy of her heart, that goes out of her
without even knowing.
The shepherds, who now return to their daily life, carry with them, in their
families, work, and in their living and working together, hope and joy,: they
know that God lives, he is with them, and he gave them his Word and gave them
a real promise of mercy and peace.
We are their heirs.
We are amazed, because the mystery of the Birth of Jesus spreads a spirit of
peace and communion, we are happy with the joy of Mary and we want to keep in
our hearts the hopes of God's presence, we are able, like the shepherds, to
start living again in our society and in our family with a new heart, without
waiting nothing from others, because we ourselves, we want to give that great
love which was given to us!