Beloved:When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
This second reading for Christmas “Mass at Dawn” from the Letter of Saint Paul to Titus speaks to the adults in church. It celebrates the work of the Holy Spirit “whom he richly poured out on us.” Saint Paul often reminds his people that God has saved us “not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of his mercy...”
That, in a nutshell, is Christmas. Despite much of the worldly hype around the festival, this kernel of truth remains: Christmas is a blessing we have neither earned nor deserved. By most ordinary standards no one should receive gifts; by definition, no one deserves any. And yet we give gifts to celebrate God’s gift to us.
Much of our interaction with one another is touched by our fearfulness, our grief and regret and guilt. These ghosts plague our quiet intimate moments and cloud our smiles. Do they love me? Do they care about me? Have they forgiven me? Do they remember what I did to them? Do they know what I have done? Do they know where I come from?
Receiving gifts helps us to lay aside those fearful thoughts. Sometimes we might even say, “You didn’t have to” or “You shouldn’t have” or “I don’t deserve this.”
To which the giver replies, “But I wanted you to have this.” or “I want to give you this because I love you.”
If it’s a gift, that means I didn’t earn it and I don’t deserve it. I should only say “Thank you.”
Christmas is a gift. Let’s enjoy it.
Merry Christmas, Fr. Ken. I love you.
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