_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church}

_{Homilies
Archive}

_{4th Sunday of Advent
December 24, 2006}

An old woman was sitting in front of her fireplace on a frozen New England night. She was all alone, thinking about the Christmas story. The more she thought about it, the more incredible she thought it was.

Why would the Creator of the universe decide to become human and live among us? And if God actually did decide to do this, why would God choose to be born in total poverty in a shelter for animals? The whole thing didn’t make sense. In fact, it seemed absurd. It seemed ridiculous!

Just then the woman was interrupted by a strange sound outside. She couldn't imagine what it was, so she got up and went over to the window and peeked out. There in the moonlight on her snow-covered lawn she saw about a dozen Canadian geese. They were crying out frantically and staggering about, dazed and confused.

These geese had apparently dropped out of the flight formation of a larger flock flying south for the winter. The sight of the exhausted geese stumbling about in the cold snow moved the woman to pity. She put on her heavy coat, went outside, and opened the door to her warm garage. Then she tried to herd the geese into the garage.

But the more the woman tried to help them, the more frightened the geese became. Soon they were scattered all across the lawn. Instead of helping them, she was making matters worse for them. Finally, after 20-30 minutes of trying, the woman gave up.

As she stood there in the freezing moonlight, looking at the frightened geese, she realized that they had no idea that she was trying to help them. They had no idea that she was their friend, not their enemy.

Then a strange thought came to the woman. She thought that if just for one minute she could become one of them…an ordinary goose…and talk to them in their language, she could explain to them what she was trying to do. And then it hit her. That's what Christmas is all about!

It's about God looking down from heaven upon the human race, staggering about dazed and confused, like the geese in the woman's yard. It's about God looking down from heaven upon the human race and pitying them, as the woman pitied the geese in her yard.

It’s about God looking down from heaven and saying what the woman said about the geese: "If just for a minute I could become one of them, and talk to them in their language, I could tell them how much I love them and want to help them."

At that moment the Christmas story suddenly made sense to her. It was no longer incredible. It was too beautiful for words.
And that's what Christmas is all about. It's about God looking down from heaven and seeing the human race frightened and confused. It's about God becoming human to let the human race know how much their Creator loves them.

But Christmas is about something even more. It's about God becoming one of us and communicating to the human race, in our own language, a share of God's own love and concern. It’s about God becoming one of us and giving to the human race the power to do for one another what God does for us.

I remember six or seven years ago, while I was still a seminarian, a very much loved and highly respected priest mentor of mine told me that Christmas was the most difficult homily of the entire year to preach. I was shocked at his statement. With the beautiful readings and incredible story I couldn't understand his comment. Since my ordination to the priesthood I have come to agree fully with my wise old mentor. It truly is the most difficult homily to prepare the entire liturgical year!

Why? Because the Christmas story is not just something incredible! It's something too beautiful to imagine! It's something too beautiful for words! It’s something that only an infinite, loving God would ever think of doing!

On behalf of the entire staff of Holy Spirit Parish I wish you a most blessed and holy Christmas.