Homily Christmas Day 2018 St. Augustine of Canterbury
Theme: What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. (John 1:4)
Introduction
Each human person can contribute to life in the universe in a tiny or a huge way. Any human deed or action that offers quality of life will bring light, joy
and peace to all humanity. Christmas is about contributing to a quality of being and quality of life.
First Reading (Isaiah 52.7-10)
In the first reading of Christmas Day celebration, the Prophet Isaiah says:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isaiah 52:7)
Isaiah hopes that every human person can contribute to making the universe a beautiful space or place. Isaiah believes that each person can make the world beautiful whenever the person announces peace, whenever the person brings good news, whenever the person announces salvation, and whenever the person announces the reign of God over the universe. Christmas decorations make season of Nativity esthetically beautiful. Christmas gifts make family ties more beautiful. Christmas therefore helps to bring or restore quality of life and family ties. What kind of news do you bring or announce to prolong the impact of Christmas in the world? How do you use Christmas to make the mountain of the Lord and the whole universe a beautiful place for quality life?
Responsorial Psalm (98.1, 2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6)
According a biblical Psalmist: “O sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have brought him victory. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” (Psalm 98:1, 3)
Christmas songs help us to sing new songs and lyrics to make the world a beautiful place of life? Christmas time offers humanity opportunity to see the marvelous things of God across the globe. Christmas time is a season to notice small or huge works of God in the universe. What do you sing or play on instruments of lyrics and music so that a quality of moment of life can be reborn in each person who interacts with you? How do you guide the ends of the earth to see small and huge victory of the goodness of God that is reborn in each person every day and every moment?
Second Reading (Hebrews 1.1-6)
The letter to the Hebrews affirms: “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,
through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrew 1:1-2)
God made the universe a beautiful place of life. He has made the universe most beautify because “in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.” God has made the universe most beautiful because his Son is the reflection of his glory. The Son of God, celebrated at Christmas, is “the exact imprint of God’s very being. Celebrating Christmas offers opportunity to celebrate the glory of God, and how God sustains all things in a quality of life. How do you use Christmas to receive God who has spoken to us by his Son? How do you help people to see the God`s glory reflected in his Son?
Gospel John 1.1-5, 9-14
John, the evangelist says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” (John 1:1-4)
If in the beginning of creation God brings quality of life, Christmas is a new beginning when God renews the quality of life through the Nativity of his Son. Christmas is a time to renew quality of life. Christmas is a season to sustain quality of life. Christmas is a time for the light of God to be reborn in each human person. Let Christmas be a time that what has come into being in the Son of God will be life and light of all people.