When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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While I hope everyone experienced some joy this Christmas, 2020 was different.
2020 was a COVID Christmas. Most of our shopping was probably done online, as we avoided large crowds, wore face masks, and tried to be socially distant.
Dinner tables were downsized as we could only gather with our closest family members or friends. The rest we had to see on FaceTime or Zoom.
Then there were the permanently empty seats left at the Christmas table, spots once occupied by a parent, a spouse, or even a child.
While Christmas is meant to be a joyful season, for some it’s a mixed bag.
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
We remember and pray for the infants murdered by King Herod in his ruthless search for Jesus. It’s a stunning, jarring feast. It’s almost impossible to imagine a king issuing a death warrant for children.
But we celebrate this feast to remind us that there’s both light and darkness at work in our world – and by extension, both joy and sorrow at Christmas.
While Jesus survived Herod’s wrath that year, others didn’t.
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This feast always makes me more sensitive to the suffering of others, those who taste more sorrow than joy.
I think of those spending the holidays in a hospital bed with COVID, cancer, or another illness; those who remain quarantined in nursing homes, isolated from their families.
Those who lost loved ones this year; and those who spend the holidays working double-shifts to put bread on the table.
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While I hope we’ve all been joyful this Christmas, we must also remember those who struggle. May we shoulder their burdens; dry their tears; break their isolation; and come to their aid.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for 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.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Sometimes a single word defines an era. In the case of 2020, the word has been, “pandemic.”
On March 11, the World Health Organization officially declared that, “COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.”
On that day, online searches for the word’s definition spiked 115,806% compared to the same day a year ago.
The word pandemic comes from the Greek, “pan-demos,” meaning, “all of the people.”
All of us have been affected by this virus. And with the continued spike in cases, there’s also been a surge in fear, anxiety, and isolation.
Some have simply called 2020, “the year that never was.”
Or, worse, “the year of darkness.”
Darkness because of social distance; darkness because of isolation; darkness because of months of online learning; darkness because of unemployment, the fear, and division this horrible virus has unleashed.
2020 has been the year of darkness.
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In the Gospel, we hear about the birth of Christ, something that also happens in the darkness, in the night.
The first people to encounter Jesus laying in a manger are the shepherds. They were busy keeping watch over their flock when suddenly the Good News was revealed to them.
An angel shatters the darkness of the night, announcing, “Do not be afraid; for behold I proclaim to you good news of great joy! … Today a savior has been born.”
What happened to the shepherds changed their experience of the darkness, of the night.
While they once feared danger lurking in the darkness – the attack of wild animals that could scatter their sheep, the chaos provoked by sudden storms, or the sinister plans of thieves looking to plunder and steal – the shepherds now have a reason to rejoice in the darkness.
“A savior has been born.” Meaning, there is someone else at work in the night.
Tonight, a child is born, whose name is Emmanuel, meaning, “God with us.”
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This is the first message proclaimed at Christmas.
God has visited us in the night.
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In the words of Saint John of the Cross, “When you are in darkness and cannot see anything or find a way out, then the only thing you can do is to put your hand into the hand of someone who can see and who can lead you out into the light.”
God extends his hand to the shepherds that first Christmas night.
And he continues reaching out to us today.
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Looking back over 2020, when was I in darkness? Did I ever feel lost in the night?
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I think of students struggling to learn online, missing their friends at school. Teachers digging deep, trying to keep their students’ spirits up. Parents without an income. Loved ones quarantined in nursing homes. Families who’ve lost loved ones to COVID or cancer.
Or the six months this parish journeyed without a pastor. Together, you wandered into the unknown, into the night.
But looking back, can we see where God was working in our lives?
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Some have said to me, “As strange as it sounds, COVID’s brought some unexpected blessings. I’ve had more time with my family. We’ve returned to the dinner table.”
Or, “I’ve re-discovered my faith. Being quarantined made me pause and pray.”
We’ve also seen the resilience of the human spirit. Think about the daily heroism we witness from frontline medical workers, custodians, delivery drivers, cashiers, and those who stock our grocery shelves with food.
People whom we might not have noticed before, but are now considered “essential.”
I’m sure we’ve all encountered someone like them who brought us light; a small act of kindness in the night, reminding us of Emmanuel, God with us.
This is our faith: God often makes himself known to us in both the heroism and ordinary kindness of our neighbor.
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I’ve often prayed the prayer of Saint Francis, which seems so appropriate tonight. Through the centuries, Francis has invited Christians to remember their calling.
In his words, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope.”
We might add, “Lord, let me be like the angel that first Christmas night. Where there is darkness, let me bring joy. Let me bring light.”
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This is my prayer for all of us this Christmas. May we be like the angels, agents of light, bringing hope and healing to all we meet.
Remembering that no matter what lies ahead in 2021, there is someone else working in the night.
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Nothing is impossible for God.
Zechariah learned this lesson firsthand.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, prayed their whole lives for a child and finally at the very end of their days, Elizabeth gives birth a son, John the Baptist.
As we know, John changes the course of human history. He identifies Jesus as the long-awaited Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Tonight we will not only celebrate Christ’s birth, but also his promise to return at the end of time.
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May the Lord find us watchful in prayer, ready for his return.
