Christmas Jubilee

Having child-like faith to celebrate Jesus’ birth

12/25/2019

Luke 2:15-20 When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. When the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

This year I will celebrate my fiftieth Christmas, my “Christmas Julibee”! According to Leviticus 25 a jubilee is the 50th anniversary of a great spiritual event. My first seven Christmases I celebrate in New Delhi, India, singing carols in Malayalam. As a teenager I celebrated Christmas by dressing in suit and tie to go to midnight Mass in Little Rock. As soon as we sat down after the gospel reading, I always leaned my head on my father’s shoulder and fell fast asleep. As a seminarian in my 20’s, I served multiple Masses on Christmas, and heard hundreds of homilies. Often, I wished my father’s shoulder were close by to lean my head on again. Now, as a priest for 23 years, I have put plenty poor people to sleep with my own midnight Mass homilies. So, sweet dream, my friends, but please don’t snore and wake up those trying to sleep next to you.

You might think that after 50 Christmases, this holy day would start to feel a little ho-hum or boring or maybe even a little humbug, but it doesn’t to me at all. Why? Well, like the Greek philosopher Aristotle said: “The more I know the more I know that I don’t know.” In other words, you can never totally “figure out” Christmas like a mystery to be solved, and drain it of all its deeper dimensions. I’m learning there’s always more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

I was reminded lately how little I know about Christmas and faith in general by our elementary school children. Their teacher gave them the following assignment: “Who do you think can help you learn more about the Catholic faith?” It went on: “Draft a letter to that person and ask a question about your Catholic faith.” I received two letters. At first I felt pretty proud that two students sent me letters asking my help to understand the Catholic faith. And then a moment later it hit me, I thought: “Wait. We have 290 students at I.C. school and only 2 students thought I could help them learn more about the Catholic faith?” But those other 288 students gave me a great gift this Christmas, namely, humility. And humility is a great gift because it is the prerequisite to possessing child-like faith. Why? Well, children do not try to figure out Christmas; they humbly accept it on faith. That’s why children get so much more out of Christmas than we over-smart, and over-sophisticated adults often do. More than getting gifts, children get the magic and mystery and miracle of Christmas. In other words, children always know there’s more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

In the gospel of Luke we see another group of child-like people, the shepherds, who accept the first Christmas miracle on faith rather than try to figure it out. After the angel announces Jesus’ birth, these uneducated men who never went to school, say: “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke adds: “So, they went in haste…” In other words, they ran with the excitement of little children on Christmas morning to see what gifts they’ve received. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said only two groups of people found the Christ Child: on the one hand, the wise men, who know they don’t know everything (like Aristotle), and on the other hand, the shepherds, who know they know nothing. That is, both groups have humility, like small preschool children, and therefore they perfectly predisposed for the gift of faith. The school of faith teaches its humble students that there’s always more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

My friends, how are you feeling about Christmas this year? Lots of things can rob us of the joy and peace on offer in this holy season and make us miss its deeper dimensions. Is Christmas feeling a little ho-hum or boring or even humbug to you? Some people have suffered tragic loss of a loved one this past year – I’m thinking especially of the Schluterman family – and Christmas comes with a cloud of sorrow hanging over it. Some parishioners were devastated by the flood and are just moving back in, or not quite home yet. The commercialism of Christmas can clutter our hearts with material gifts and leave little room for the greatest gift of all, Jesus himself, like there was no room for the divine Baby in Bethlehem. A friend of mine humorously described four stages of life in terms of Santa Claus. He said: “First, you believe in Santa Claus, then you don’t believe in Santa Claus, then you dress up like Santa Claus, and finally you look like Santa Claus.” In other words, sometimes our life seems to hinge more on Santa than on the Savior.

May I suggest to you that instead of trying to figure out Christmas, we approach it with humility and faith, like the shepherds and sages, and small children have done up and down the centuries? Allow child-like faith to sweep you off your feet as you celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, singing with the angels “Gloria in excelsis Deo, and on earth peace to people of good will!” By the way, let me ask you: How many of you received letters from our school children asking your help to understand the Catholic faith? Whew, that was a risky question because everyone might have raised their hands! Children have an uncanny way of giving us the great gift of humility, as every parent experiences, even us spiritual parents. Humility is the prerequisite course you must complete before you graduate from the school of faith. Sometimes we can be too smart and too sophisticated for our own spiritual good.

What number Christmas are you celebrating this year? Is this your fifth Christmas, or your twenty-fifth Christmas, or your fiftieth Christmas like me? Are you dressing up as Santa Claus, or do you look like Santa Claus? Whatever number Christmas this is, try to approach it with child-like faith rather than try to figure it all out. When you see Christmas through the eyes of a child, you will see there’s always more than meets the eyes, and you may remember the magic and the mystery and the miracle.

Praised be Jesus Christ!