Thanksgiving day is a special day for the Schwartz family. 56 of us gather at my brother John and Linda’s home. After a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the many blessings we enjoy as a family, my brother John shared the announcement that went to the heart of the blessings of our family. He announced with considerable joy that his daughter Jennifer was pregnant. The gift of new life is our most precious family blessing.
With similar joy, one of the great blessings on my priesthood is the Sacrament of Baptism. To experience and to share in the joy that parents have in the birth of their child celebrates again and again the miracle of God’s love in the lives of a family. It changes dramatically the meaning and the way of life of young parents. Their child is now the center of their world.
The mystery of Christmas celebrates that the power of God comes to us in a tiny infant.
In one simple unassuming sentence, the Christmas mystery is revealed. From the evangelist Luke: “While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.” The power of God comes to us in a tiny infant. God is with us in the Bethlehem infant born to Mary and Joseph.
This night of mystery had its origins on the darkened hills of Judea. In the dark of night, an angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I proclaim to you good news of a great joy to be shared by all. Today in David’s city, a Savior has been born to you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” No room in the inn is not simply a description of the housing situation in Bethlehem at the time. It is a probing statement that is meant for us to continually reflect upon as we retell the Christmas story.
And so, may I ask you what is the housing situation in the inn of your heart? Is there room in the inn of our hearts for the birth of the Savior? Is there room in the inn of your heart for the family member for whom you have difficulty getting along with? Is there room in the inn of your heart for people who think differently than you -- politically, religiously, or in any way whatsoever? Is there room in the inn of our hearts for Jesus who lives in the hearts of the poor, the immigrants, and children of all cultures and of all ways of life?
The mystery of Christmas happens for us when we connect the story of our lives with the story of Christmas. Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus. The Christmas message is the story of God’s unconditional love for us. As his disciples we are to fill this world with many other stories that mirror and give witness to God’s love for us. That is the meaning and wonder of the Incarnation.
Our exterior Christmas decorations are up and they are beautiful. What about our interior Christmas decorations? May we allow the peace of Christ to enter once again into our lives, calming all of our anxieties and filling us with all that is good.
Many of us support the theme to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” This is a great idea as far as it goes, but it just doesn’t say enough. What about Christ are we keeping in Christmas? The fact of his birth? That’s not enough. We need also to keep in Christmas the humility and simplicity of his birth. We need t keep in Christmas the message that all are welcome at the Bethlehem crib. We need to keep in Christmas the compassion and love and joy and the light that shines through all the dark places of life.
Christmas is not simply about Mary and Joseph and the baby. It is about God becoming part of our daily struggle, transforming the world through us. We are the people who walk in darkness – the darkness of sin, the darkness of war, the darkness of relationships that are broken, and the darkness of the threat of violence and terrorism. How many people in our world today experience “no room in the inn” because of race, color, religion, gender, or sexuality? What attitude and actions of ours communicate to people in need that there is no room for them in the inn of our hearts? Do we ever in our parish life make people feel unwelcome and there is no room for them? The message of Christmas is that Jesus comes for people in dark places. The real, lasting and deep joy of Christmas is that light shines in the darkness.
You may be sure that to whatever area of our life we allow the Christ child to enter, the darkness recedes. The mystery of Christmas is allowing the person of Jesus to enter the inn of our hearts. It is an invitation to look at our present moment through a different lens, the mystery of the nativity of Jesus, the wonder of the Incarnation. This new lens enables us to see a new and radiant vision, a light for people who walk in darkness.
The story of Bethlehem points to a vision of hope, one that relies not on the exercise of military power but an on appeal to the common instincts of the human heart. These common instincts of the human heart are very spiritual – a spirit of peace, a spirit of joy, a spirit of family, a spirit of love, the spirit of Christmas.
In the inn of our own hearts, there is an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. We are missioned to be the keepers of the mystery of Christmas – God is with us. We give birth to Christ when we allow the light that is within us to extend to our family, and our parish family, and to all of creation.
The meaning of Christmas is to be found in the presence of Jesus among us and in our love for one another. This is the time to celebrate and strive for the ideals that are the best of who God calls us to be. May God give you peace and may we share this peace with one and all.
May you cherish every moment and every person in your life.