By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily during the Christmas midnight Mass (celebrated at 10 p.m. Dec. 24, 2023) at St. Mary Cathedral in Miami.
Bethlehem’s night tonight is a “Silent Night” but because of war in the Holy Land it is not a “Holy Night.” The grim realities of war and terrorism not only in the Middle East but also in the Ukraine worry us all. Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, countries near to us – and certainly, dear to many of us – are seemingly without hope as hundreds of thousands flee. Here in the U.S., the tragedies of addiction, family break-ups, and violence are ongoing problems. All these things remind us that we live in a world of fragile peace and broken promises.
Yet, we proclaim this night a “Holy Night” – and we break the silence of this night with joyful songs. We sing with renewed hope: “Joy to the World.” That we can do so is because as St. John Paul II once wrote, “the limit imposed on evil of which man is both perpetrator and victim is ultimately Divine Mercy.”
That mercy is born today in Bethlehem – for that child born of the Virgin is God’s promise fulfilled. In the Christ child laying in a manger, we see the face of the Father’s mercy. In the tragic and complicated history of fallen man, God has the last Word. That Word became flesh and dwelt among us: Emmanuel, God with us.
Pèp la rele: Bondye vin sove n! Bondye pat rete an silans. Li pale yon pawòl – se te yon pawòl delivrans pou tout moun ki kwè. Pawòl sa a ki tounen moun nan se vizaj kè sansib Bondye Papa a – li se Emanyel – Bondye avèk nou.
Aquella Nochebuena —cuando, en el silencio de la oscuridad y la pobreza, nació Cristo— ha iniciado un Nuevo Día, lleno de la luz de una esperanza inquebrantable, que disipa las tinieblas impuestas a los corazones humanos por el miedo y la desesperación.
Hoy, en el día de Navidad, la Antigua Promesa se cumple; el tiempo de la espera termina, y la Virgen da a luz al Mesías. Hoy, nace el niño Dios para todos los seres humanos abrumados por el pecado, necesitados de salvación y sedientos de esperanza. Ese niño es el rostro misericordioso del Dios Padre. Como San Juan dice resumiendo en una frase el contenido de la Buena Nueva: tanto Dios amó al mundo que nos entregó a su único hijo.
Se konsa, Nwèl ap tounen pou nou tankou yon ti lekòl kote na aprann kouman pou nou swiv Jezi, pou n aksepte ni kè kontan ni tèt chaje lavi yon patizan Kris la konn jwenn. Tankou Mari, fò n aprann laverite a ki kache nan gran mèvèy sa a konsa na rive wè lavi a ak plis espwa – paske nan mèvèy Pawòl la ki tounen yon moun menm jan ak nou, n a aprann jan nou konte, jan nou konsekan nan je Bondye nou an, jan kè l sansib pou nou; n a rive konprann jan Bondye renmen nou, jan li ban nou valè nan voye li voye sèl grenn pitit li a ban nou kom Sovè n.
The Christmas decorations, especially the Nativities we display in our churches and our homes, depict through lights and images the Gospel message, a message summarized by the Apostle John went he wrote: God so loved the world that he gave it his only begotten Son.
As we look at these Nativity scenes, we do well to ask ourselves why God would make himself present to us in this way – why would the Almighty come wrapped in the poverty of Bethlehem? Why would he come among us as a little baby?
Perhaps, we can find the answer in the reasons why people live alienated from God.
Some people are alienated because they are afraid of God: Often these fears come from distorted images or ideas of God. God appears to them distant yet terrible: He is to them a harsh, demanding taskmaster or an arbitrary policeman in the sky. Often those who did not have the blessing of being raised with a loving father in the home have a hard time understanding God as a loving, merciful father.
Other people are simply angry with God – and for that reason they stay far away from him. They blame God for whatever ills that have befallen them, for the apparent unfairness of life.
And today, given the secularism of our society, a society which pretends that God no longer matters, many people are simply indifferent to God.
That’s why God draws near to us as a little baby – weak and vulnerable. He comes as a baby – because it’s hard to be afraid of a little baby. He comes as a baby – because it’s impossible to be angry with a little baby. He comes as a baby – because how could one see a baby’s smile and still remain indifferent to him?
This, of course, is the reason for our joy, a joy for the world. Christmas proclaims that the secret of the joy for which the human heart craves is not found in having a lot of things. To be joyful, we do not just have need of things, but love and truth: We need a God who is near, who warms our heart, and responds to our most profound desires. The secret of joy – proclaimed by angels from on high – is found in knowing that one is loved by the Lord and this joy is not diminished but grows when we make our lives gifts that for the love of God we share with others. Yes, today a baby whom we adore is the merciful face of the Father whose love for us conquers sin and death.
Feliz Navidad! Bon fèt Nwèl! Merry Christmas!
