Gospel: Lk 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Homily
Some time ago a parents was detailing to me all that has to be done on an afternoon for her children. Among the things on the list was karate lessons which she explained to me were essential given the atmosphere in which we live. In her mind she had to train her children to be the least vulnerable possible. In our world vulnerability is not a value. It may even be considered a curse and we spend time ensuring that our vulnerability is as small as possible. We teach our children how not to be vulnerable and we keep on, into our old age, trying to escape its curse.
As I meditated on the readings for Christmas and understood that in Christ Jesus God reveals himself to the world, it suddenly struck me that one of the attributes of God is precisely his vulnerability.
cialis 5 mg So, quite smoking to save the life of your dreams. buy tadalafil canada This can’t be far from truth. This capsule is used for curing different types of male enhancement products available in the markets cialis buy but it doesn’t mean all can work better and perfect. These generic viagra professional syndromes include dementia, weakness, stroke, blurred vision, night-time confusion, orthopedic diseases, which produce dysfunctional movement and balance problems. All of us are very familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth. St. Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary made the journey to Bethlehem and “While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” God became a human being not in grandeur but in vulnerability. There is no one as vulnerable as a new born child. God was vulnerable to the circumstances of the period. Because of the census there was no room for them in the inn. But more than that, God revealed himself first of all to persons vulnerable to the vagaries of the elements, and to the uncertainties of shepherding; Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
The problem for us is that we see vulnerability as weakness. There is a difference however between vulnerability and weakness. Vulnerability is the attitude of leaving oneself open to possibilities which may be good or bad and that demands tremendous strength. In becoming human in Jesus Christ God left himself open to everything of which humans are capable good and bad. Vulnerability demands great trust, trust in the goodness of others and trust in the God given ability to overcome adversity. Vulnerability is essentially an act of love.
Because we see vulnerability as weakness, we are forever building walls to protect ourselves and in so doing we not only attempt to lock out adversity but we also lose the possibility of experiencing the tremendous good which others have to offer.
The Christmas story is thus a lesson in living. God so loved the world that he sent his son born of a woman, ready to give all, to do all that was possible for our good and leaving himself open to acceptance but also to misunderstanding rejection and ill treatment.
This is a difficult lesson to learn but those who learn it are the heroes of our faith, the saints. May all of us be given the Grace this Christmas of learning to be vulnerable after the manner of Jesus Christ
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God You chose to become a human being and in so doing raised vulnerability to the level of virtue. Give us your faithful people a proper understanding of this virtue and during this season of gift-giving, gift us with the Grace to acquire it. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother and Jesus your Son who revealed You to us as a vulnerable God. Amen
