Where is our Celebrant today?

Christmas Day 25^th December 2019. Read Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1-6 and John 1:1-18)_

_“Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye, they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing.” *(Isaiah 52:8-9)*_

Once upon a time, there was a great birthday celebration. It was the talk of the town. Everyone was there, food and drinks flowed like water, everyone had everything he or she needed, the servers did not stop serving and the musician kept singing. There was no M.C, everyone just knew what to do. It was not until the day was getting dark and people started leaving that they noticed the celebrant was not even present. They felt so ashamed because they had come to catch fun but forgot to bring gifts or even ask for the celebrant. Year after year, this is how we Christians celebrate Christmas.

The question is: “Where is Jesus our celebrant?” Already, in our midnight mass, we reflected on the fact that Jesus is in our brothers and sisters and especially in the strangers. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” Today, our readings make us understand that Jesus is the WORD of God.

The book of Hebrews tells us that God spoke to our fathers in many and various ways but in this last age, God has spoken to us in the person of Jesus. The birth of Jesus is God’s own way of saying to the human species: “I love you and even if you don’t love me back, I will keep on loving you till you are saved. I love you so much, I give you my only son as a sacrifice for your good.”

In our Gospel passage, John theologizes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” Jesus is the Word of God that was with God at the beginning and at the appointed time, He took flesh and lived among us. Our celebrant is the Word of God.

Today is a day for us to open our mouths to sing God’s praises, a day to read and proclaim God’s word. In Zechariah, we learn that the mouth is meant for good and not for evil, for praising God and not for confessing doubt. As Isaiah says in today’s first reading, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, … Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy.” (Isaiah 52:7-8).

The second lesson we learn today comes from the concluding statement of today’s Gospel passage. John reveals that Jesus is the face of God. “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (John 1:18). In Jesus, we learn that God is Humble. He chose to visit mankind as a little child, not even a child born in a palace but one born in a manger to Mary and Joseph the carpenter. In Jesus, we see that God desires our love much more than our fear. No one will see a child and not love him or her. So also, God wants us to love Him with all our mind, heart and body. If God could love me so much, what I have done and what am I planning to do to love God back?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may your birth change my life completely. Amen.

Merry Christmas to You. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Christmas Mass During the Day. Bible Study: Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1-6 and John 1:1-18).