Homily – The Solemnity of Christmas ’11 Father Joseph
->Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Like many people my age, I remember the first time I heard the Gospel proclaimed outside of Church. It was in my parent’s living room on a black and white Philco TV. The one who proclaimed the Gospel wasn’t a priest or a deacon; it was a scruffy little boy with a blanket named Linus…during the much-beloved show, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
->About five years ago, Peanuts creator, Chas Schultz, was interviewed during a documentary on PBS about how that show came about. The TV executives were nervous about many things before that special aired…using real children for voices, about not having a laugh track, and REAL nervous about using scripture. Heaven forbid a Christmas Special that actually mentions Christ. But…Schultz stuck to his guns and the result…a much-beloved Christmas Special that endures!
->It is a humbling reminder to those of us who approach the pulpit every week; sometimes the most powerful pulpit isn’t a pulpit at all and sometimes the most effect preacher isn’t actually a preacher!
->Hearing(reading) this powerful passage from Luke’s Gospel once again, I find myself marveling at its power! What is it about Luke’s account of the Nativity that makes it so enduring, endearing? Century after century, year after year, whether in church(or on TV), we are drawn into its power. For us, it is THE Christmas story.
->Part of it is the cast of characters Luke assembles. Luke was the only evangelist who was not Jewish, and his Gospel is beautifully inclusive. He is the evangelist for the outsider and the outcast – and so in this narrative you have EVERYONE. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, even Caesar is mentioned. The only ones who don’t appear are the wise men, but they’ll show- up on their own holiday, Epiphany. In this narrative, you really do see the world spread before us. Everyone is welcome at the stable.
->But beyond the setting and the sentiment, there is a truth here that strikes at the heart of every believing Christian…that truth that defines Christmas.
->It is there, in the middle of the Gospel, in the very first words that are spoken: Do not be afraid. And then it gets even better: Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. A savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
->These are the words we have been longing for. With this moment, the course of human history changes forever. God has become one of us. The savior’s very name proclaims the incredible truth that no one ever thought possible: Emmanuel, God is with us. It is a stunning thought, almost overwhelming. And yet we are told: Do not be afraid.
->Across 2000 yrs, those words reach out to us in joy and hope and consolation. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what your circumstances, this what matters: Do not be afraid.
->To the sick and the suffering, the lonely and the lost … to all those who feel that maybe God has forgotten you. To those who feel, as Bl Mother Teresa did, abandoned to the dark night: Do not be afraid.
->To our brave men and women, fighting for freedom on foreign soil…to our veterans who feel unappreciated and forgotten…to all who long for God’s kingdom of peace and justice: Do not be afraid.
->To those who struggle with their faith…to those who may have been hurt by the Church…to anyone among us who might not feel welcome at the table of this altar: Do not be afraid!
->That, I believe, is the great power of Christmas, the reason why year after year that beautiful passage from Luke resonates. Christmas is about redemption, yes. But…it is also about God’s overpowering love for us – His reassurance to a troubled, frightened, war-torn world that He is with us, through everything: He dreams with us…He walks with us…He waits with us…Remember his name, Emmanuel, God is with us. So…Do not be afraid.
In the simple words of that great philosopher, Linus Van Pelt: That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!
In the immortal words of the Christmas angel: Do not be afraid!
