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Homilies | Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Today, a Savior is born for us

Homily by Archbishop Wenski at Christmas Eve Mass at St. Mary Cathedral

Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Christmas Eve Mass at St. Mary Cathedral. Dec. 24, 2016. 

Men, Bon Nouvèl la. He aqui la Buena nueva. The good news – that is, the gospel –  that brings great joy is simply: Today, a Savior is born for us, Christ the Lord.  Jodi a yon Sovè fèt pou nou, li menm ki Kris, Granmèt la. Hoy nos ha nacido un Salvador, Cristo el Señor.

Christmas comes every year to renew our hope. For God does keep his promises – the prophets of old hoped against hope. And when everything seemed darkest, the light shone. The Prophet Isaiah tells us in tonight’s first reading: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” 

Christmas is an invitation to each one of us to see things differently – to see things in a new light, to see things as God sees them.

That’s what Mary and Joseph each had to do. You know, most couples will tell you that a baby changes everything. So you can imagine how this baby, even though he was born in the poverty of a stable, changed everything for Mary and Joseph – especially given, to say the least, the unusual circumstances of his conception – by the Holy Spirit and not by human agency. And this baby, whom the angels adore and the shepherds revere, changes everything, not only for Mary and Joseph but for each one of us – and for the whole world.

Como ustedes que son padres de familia bien saben, un bebé cambia todo. Ese bebé que hoy nace en la pobreza de Belén cambia todo – no solo para Maria y Jose sino para cada uno de nosotros. Así, la Navidad nos llega cada año como una invitación a ver las cosas de una manera diferente, o sea, que veamos las cosas como Dios mismo las ve, con una nueva luz: esa luz de una renovada esperanza que brilla a pesar de las tinieblas que nos rodean. Pues nuestro Dios es fiel; él cumple con su promesa.

“Be not afraid." These words were first addressed to Mary at the Annunciation and then to Joseph when he took Mary into his home. And now a choir of angels tells the poor shepherds, “Be not afraid.” (In fact, Bible scholars, I believe, have identified some 365 places where God or one of his messengers tells us, “Be not afraid.” As Archbishop McCarthy liked to say: One verse for every day of the year.)

Yon bebe chanje tout bagay. Si sa vre pou tout manman, pou tout manman, se pi vre toujou pou pitit sa Mari anfante a – yon pitit li fè san li pa an afè ak yon gason.  Malgre li fèt kou yon pòv malere kote bèt yo konn manje, pitit sa chanje tout bagay, ni pou Mari, ni pou Jozèf, ni pou nou chak ki la.  Konsa, Nwèl rive chak ane pou nou gade tout bagay yon jan difèran, fò nou gade tout bagay jan Bondye gade yo pou nou ka wè yo ak pi plis espwa.

At Christmas, we celebrate that God did not come to us in all his terrible glory and fearful splendor but as a little baby. “Be not afraid.” Who can be afraid of a little baby? God comes as a baby so we might not be afraid to draw near to him.

Yet, we do live in a world of fear: We fear misery and poverty, we fear crime and terrorism; we fear illness and suffering. We fear loneliness and death. Against some of our fears, we take out insurance policies. Yet no insurance policy can protect us from all our fears. But God comes to our aid. Our help is in God and so we do not fear. We may fall – but we will fall into God’s hands. And God’s hands are good hands. Do not fear, Mary; do not fear, Joseph. Your mission is to carry in your arms God become man in that child born in Bethlehem. But the angels assure them, even as you carry God, God will carry you.

No tengan miedo, el coro de ángeles dice a los humildes pastores. Cómo vamos a tener miedo al Niño Dios. No tengamos miedo pues Dios está con nosotros. Pa pè! Bondye avè nou.

Yes, a baby does change everything. And this baby born of a Virgin will change everything – not only for Mary and Joseph, but for each one of us and for the whole world.

This is good news of great joy: today a Savior is born for us, Christ the Lord. Jodi a yon Sovè fèt pou nou, li menm ki Kris, Granmèt la. Hoy nos ha nacido un Salvador, Cristo el Señor.

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