“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The major theme for this Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord focuses on the divine mystery of the incarnation of God’s only Begotten Son, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We celebrate Christmas with cheers and joy after a long Advent journey. Our awaited hope, yearning and expectation have come to fruition today to receive the baby Jesus in our arms and heart.

The eternal God has taken flesh in time, space and human history. The divine infinity is made finite by the incarnation of Jesus Christ in this daring act of love, compassion and mercy to demonstrate God’s outpouring self-sacrifice and self-offering to us for our salvation. He is “Emmanuel = God-is-with-us.” He is the Good News of our Salvation, our brother and Lord, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords, the glory proclaimed by the Holy Scriptures.

Now our peace is not promised but sent, not deferred but granted, not prophesied but realized. The Heavenly Father has sent to our world something like a sack full of mercy, a sack that will break in passion so that the price of our ransom that it contains will spill out. A sack that, although small, is already completely full. Indeed, a child has been given to us, but in this child dwells all the fullness of divinity (Saint Bernard of Siena).

The feast of Christmas renews for us the sacred beginnings of the life of Jesus. As we adore the birth of our Savior, we are invited to celebrate our own birth as Christians. The peace that the angels announced at the birth of the Lord is the peace that engenders the children of God, the one that feeds love and is the mother of unity, and the rest for the saints and tabernacles where the guests of the eternal kingdom dwell (Saint Leo the Great).

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to rejoice and appreciate the arrival of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who brings us true peace, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God. 

How can we proclaim more joyfully Christ’s birth to the world and to receive Him in our heart and lives?         

Wishing you a blessed week in the Lord.