Contribute a Verse

Becoming part of the powerful play called Christmas

12/21/2024

Lk 1:39-45 Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

How do you feel as we celebrate Christmas each year? Some people may adopt the apathetic attitude of Ebenezer Scrooge and say, “Bah, humbug!” Christmas is just another revolution around the sun and we pass another mile-marker in the meaningless march of time, until the clock of the cosmos winds down and all life ends. Others may feel Christmas is a great opportunity for capitalism. Not a few companies’ entire annual budget depends on their Christmas sales.

Heck, even here in the Church, the single largest collection is taken up on the Christmas eve and day Masses. By the way, did you know the Christmas collection – which in some of the biggest parishes can be upwards of $100,000 – went entirely to the pastor?  Not to the associate pastor, but to the pastor, and he could share it if he wanted. But not today, and that’s enough to make a grumpy old pastor say, “Bah, humbug!” And that is also why the Christmas collection goes to the retired priests of our diocese – it still benefits curmudgeon clerics.

But we people of faith do not see Christmas as simply another revolution of the earth around the sun but rather as the revolution of the Son of God who came to earth. That is, the celebration of the birth of this Baby is not merely another point in the mindless march of human history, but the climactic turning point of all human history, which we finally discover was always his story.

As the poet Walt Whitman wisely wrote: “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” In other words, for Christians Christmas is indeed a “revolution of the Son”, Jesus, who reveals that everything ultimately revolves around him. Jesus is both the Author and the main Character of the powerful play that is our life and all reality. That is how a Christian should feel about Christmas: the plot of human history has taken a dramatic twist, and it will never be the same again.

When we keep that Christian perspective on Christmas in mind, we can read and reflect on today’s gospel from Luke 1:39-45 with greater profit. Mary, pregnant now with the Christ Child, visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is herself pregnant with John the Baptist. One facet of this episode – and there are countless facets to explore – is John’s dramatic reaction in the presence of his Savior. We read what Elizabeth says to Mary: “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk 1:44).

John experienced the joy of Christmas – the great plot twist of the powerful play of human history – and it would be his job to share that Christmas joy with the world. John himself would explain his joy as that of the best man attending the wedding of the bridegroom in Jn 3:29, “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.”

That is, John the Baptist did not stop leaping for Christmas joy even after his head leaped onto that silver platter that King Herod had sent for John’s beheading. That was John's last leap. Walt Whitman was exactly right: The powerful play goes on and John the Baptist had contributed a mighty powerful verse. And what was John’s verse? That Christmas joy cannot be extinguished by sin and death.

Folks, today is December 21, and one of my favorite days of the year. Why? Well, because it is the Winter Solstice, which means in the northern hemisphere of our planet today is the shortest day (and longest night) of the year. Put differently, starting tomorrow, the daylight increases. In some cultures, the Winter Solstice is actually called “the birthday of the sun,” because like a baby grows so too does the sunlight. And I really like sunlight.

Now, that is a scientific way to look at this geological phenomenon, and it’s not a bad perspective. But I just don’t believe it is the best perspective. I would rather look through the eyes of Walt Whitman and have the heart of St. John the Baptist and see today (and December 25) as the Birthday of the Son of God, not just A sun of many solar systems, but as THE Son whose breath put all the solar systems into motion.

Today the powerful play takes a great and unexpected twist – we didn’t see that coming! – and a Baby bursts onto the stage of human history. And we are invited to have a supporting role in his play, and “contribute a verse.” Just make sure your verse is a really good one.

Praised be Jesus Christ!