Midnight Mass (December 24, 2022)

Celebrating CHRISTMAS for the RIGHT REASON!

Tonight a child is born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. He will be great and called the Son of the Highest. His name is holy. He will be called JESUS, the Emmanuel (God is with us). He will be with us til the end of time. 

Indeed, this time of the year is very close to the heart of everyone. It is quite bewildering to note that even those who, for some reason, do not understand what Christmas is, yet celebrate this season with a bang. Maybe this is how God writes straight in a crooked line. The sounds of the Church bells and the Christmas carols create an exhilarating feeling in every man’s heart. Certainly, tonight is a time to celebrate and a time of joy.   

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas. However, they must lead us to Jesus Christ, the right reason for Christmas. The Father’s desire to save his people through his Incarnated Son came in the context of a Family, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Jesus was born in a humble stable into a poor family. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event…..The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night: the Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal, and the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible” (CCC #525).       

Family is an indispensable element of the Incarnation, while the first Christmas happened within a family context. The presence of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in the Gospel of Luke reveals three components of a family worthy of rumination.   

First, the family is where life begins. Among all the graces of God, life is the most beautiful thing he has given us. Without a doubt, family is the seedbed of life. So, therefore all members are obliged to take good care of that precious gift. Receptive to the message of Jesus, who is the life and the life giver himself, all family members are to be transformed into life-givers in return.

Second, the family needs protection, too. The present generation presents mega trends that reshape and re-value family ties, relationships, and their significance. With this, the family needs to be protected at all costs. Learning from the silent worker himself, St. Joseph, parents should never stop teaching their children to stand for what is right and true. In doing so, you are transforming them into defenders and protectors of the family.        

Third, the family is where consolation abounds. The world is too busy and noisy, creating confusion and problems and, in the process, leaving us wounded for various reasons. Experiencing the same ordeal, Mary, on her part, opted to be consoler of all by accepting to be the Mother of God. Mary, together with her Son, was always present in any form of inhumane circumstance to console each one of us. For this condition, the family should be where each member can find solace, tranquility, calmness, and peace. This would mean that all family members are expected to be consolers, a shoulder to cry on, and someone who will dry the tears of each one. More than anything else, the family should have a heart open to accepting those who have been disconnected from us for the longest time.    

Christmas is about Jesus, who incarnated in the context of a family. So therefore, let us celebrate family, and celebrate Christmas for the right reason.                         

A JOY-FILLED CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!