It all started in the manger, where the King was born

Christmas Evening Mass

Gospel Lk 2:1-14

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.”

It all started in the manger, where the King was born

Merry Christmas!  Though we celebrate Christmas every year, we are still filled with awe and wonder when we remember the first holy night when the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, no doubt this is the greatest story ever told.  There’s something in Christmas that makes us excited, consoled, delighted as well as sad or nostalgic because it touches our hearts, our childhood, our family, and friends who spent dinner and sharing gifts and simply remembering our loved ones whom we missed so much.  The Christmas carols played continuously over the radio, the festive and colorful display of lights and Christmas trees and other ornaments in the homes, buildings, and parks create an atmosphere of peace, hope, and comfort.  Indeed, Christmas is for young and old alike. 

Three reasons why we celebrate Christmas joyously:

1.     God sent us a Savior. John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  God became the Incarnate Word-Jesus our Divine Savior in our midst to save us from the bondage of sin. Thus, Christmas reminds us that we have Jesus every day to free us from our evil tendencies, addictions, vices, and impure intentions. The birth of Jesus ushers in the meeting of heaven and earth. Let us allow Jesus to rule our lives every day in the New Year.

2.     Second, Christmas is the Feast of God’s sharing His love with us: Jesus is the Good News that God will always love, forgive, be merciful to us and not as a cruel judge and punishing Father.  Each Christmas reminds us that we must love others as a privilege and duty, and every time we exercise that, Jesus is reborn in our lives.  Radiating Jesus’ light to others is to love selflessly, being compassionate in words and deeds, and be willing to forgive, to be humble, and to be generous.

3.     Third, Christmas is the Feast of the Emmanuel (God living with and within us). Jesus lives with us in all events of our lives, Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in our parishes, praying community, and in each believer, we become the Holy Spirit’s temples.  Sharing with others, Jesus, the Emmanuel living within us is the best Christmas we can give or receive today.  Jesus is always the reason of our celebration-God who became a child, born in a manger, raised by Mary and Joseph, and forever our Savior.

Typical of last-minute Christmas shoppers, a mother was running furiously from store to store. Suddenly she became aware that the pudgy little hand of her three-year-old son was no longer clutched in hers. In a panic, she retraced her steps and found him standing with his little nose pressed flat against a frosty window. He was gazing at a manger scene. Hearing his mother’s near hysterical call, he turned and shouted with innocent glee, “Look, Mommy! It’s Jesus – Baby Jesus in the hay!” With obvious indifference to his joy and wonder, she impatiently jerked him away saying, “We don’t have time for that!”

The first moment Jesus touched us happened when He, wrapped in a swaddling cloth was laid down on a manger.   Since then, He continually unites Himself with us in the altar- the new manger when we celebrate the Eucharist the perpetual food of the ages. Even the lowly town, Bethlehem speaks about the fulfillment of the birth of Jesus from the Book of Micah to the Gospel of Luke and Matthew. Bethlehem, or “Beit Lechem” house of bread in Hebrew foreshadows the Bread of Life or the Eucharist. 

But why in a manger?  Even the Gospel mentioned this non-living object twice. There must be a hidden meaning behind this crib, the resting place of Jesus, the feeding box for animals.   In Latin, a manger means manducare- to eat.

According to Archbishop Villegas, there are three things to remember about the manger. (focus on the manger).

1.     The manger is always dirty.  Most probably Joseph cleaned it. There’s no alcohol, disinfectant, or sanitizer. Germs, bacteria, or viruses could still abound.  While Mary was still learning the art of parenting, this approach was the least she could do.   Jesus coming from her, the Immaculate Conception preserved the little babe from any contamination.  Thus, the manger is unclean.  Jesus when He came, recognized how filthy we are.  He came not for the clean, holy, and strong.  He came for sinners, the weak, and those who walk in the valley of darkness.   Only Jesus can clean us from our sins. The manger, therefore, represents all of us.

2.     Second, destiny.  The prophets, Isaiah, Amos, Micah already prophesied the birth of the Savior, the Son of God to be laid in the manger.  God will be available as spiritual food for all of us in the Eucharist, like what beasts do when they eat in the manger.  The altar becomes the new manger, we will eat in the altar. 

3.     And last, discipleship.  Jesus has no place to lay His head.  He became an itinerant preacher, healer, miracle worker.   This is the mission of a disciple. We are living as pilgrims in this world. We will not bring what we have now into the next life.  No matter how one values his or her houses, cars, and other treasures, and the comfort of your pillows, everything will be left behind. Thus, Jesus born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, our God, the powerful King chose to be born in a humble, obscure, and simple manner teaches us that He alone could satisfy the hunger of the human heart for true peace, love, and joy which come from Jesus who gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.

JB Phillips authored a book entitled Your God Is Too Small. One of the great reasons for Advent is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and explore the BIGNESS of our GREAT God. The irony of Christmas is this: the bigness of God can be seen in a tiny Baby. According to Paul in Colossians 1:15-23, this tiny Baby is the dynamic, omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the universe! Fr. Tony

What could be in the heart and mind of Joseph when he first saw his Son, Jesus? Most oftentimes, the scene of the Nativity depicts him as the silent one.  He shared with Mary the joy, peace, and comfort together with the characters who witnessed the birth of Jesus. This song (Joseph’s lullaby) captures the beauty, the quiet anticipation of the night, the love of Jesus’ family as God was born tonight- that changed the course of our human history.