May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for
us.
Do not be afraid.
Those were the words of the Angel: Do not be afraid. People had been afraid of God for
generations. They had been afraid of
justice. They had been afraid of
punishment. They had been afraid even,
that the reality of the living God would call them to a life that was greater
than they could imagine. Do not be
afraid, said the Angel, Do not be afraid.
He did not come to us in power. It was not a violent conquest. He appeared, and the soul felt its
worth. He appeared, and he took
possession of his creation. The Word of
the Father, through whom all things were created, comes to us in utter
humility. Not in strength do we meet
him, but in weakness. Not in power do we
see him, but held in the arms of his mother.
There is no need to be afraid.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is a baby. We cannot fear him. We can only fall in love with him.
It is the love of God the Father and the loving response of
the Virgin Mother that brings the Lord Jesus to us. He is the child that was promised and the
Redeemer that will save us. He will
reveal to us the eternal will of the Eternal God and he will teach us what it
means to truly love. He will invite us
to the Kingdom of his Father, to the table with his apostles, to the mountain
for his teaching, and tonight he invites us to the manger where he was born. We meet this baby and we are conquered by
love. In the captivating face of this
baby, we gaze upon the face of the invisible God. In the captivating face of this baby, we gaze
upon the face of him in whose image we were created. In the captivating face of this baby, we fall
passionately in love with the God who is passionately in love with us. There is no need to be afraid. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is a
baby. We cannot fear him. We can only fall in love with him.
And this baby will make room in our hearts, just as he made room
in the manger. There was no room in the
inn for him to be born. Yet after the
birth of the Lord Jesus there was room for the shepherds. In the mystery of divine love, at an inn that
was overcrowded, the whole world now comes to worship. The Lord Jesus brought the love of heaven to
earth and made room on earth for the love of heaven. He made room in the manger. He can make room in our hearts. There is no need to be afraid. O Come let us adore him. Amen
Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic Church, Monroe, NC