A SERMON FOR THE SUNDAY WITHIN THE CHRISTMAS OCTAVE
On Christmas night, as we knelt
before the manger scenes in our homes, we beheld the Christ Child of Bethlehem. He came as a fragile baby, he was wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger. Ox and
ass knelt before him, the brute animals of the earth the first to give homage
in their own simple way to their Creator lying before them. And then there arrived the first humans. Who were they, who were given this incredible
privilege of being the first after Mary and Joseph to behold the Word made
flesh? They were shepherds. Simple shepherds
who had been watching their flocks by night; who were chosen to see the Angel
of the Lord as glory shone around, chosen to hear the message of the multitude
of the heavenly host, the angels from the realms of glory, giving glory to God
in the highest, and promising peace to men of good will.
It is not a coincidence that God
chose shepherds to hear the Herald Angels sang the first Gloria in Excelsis. It is
not a coincidence, but the plan of Divine Providence from everlasting, that the
very first visitors at the manger would not be wise men, not Kings of Orient, but
humble shepherds.
Divine Providence wanted to give us
a simple but profound message: that he puts down the mighty from their seat,
and exalts the humble and meek. God
chose the shepherds as he chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, as he chose his
apostles. It is God’s way, to select men
and women of humble backgrounds to play the most important roles in the story
of Redemption. This shouldn’t surprise
us, when the very Son of God himself is born in a stable. And so it shouldn’t surprise us either that
the first to arrive at that stable were shepherds, whose occupation, like that
of Christ himself, was to lead their flock, and serve their needs, gather them
into one fold and protect them from the wolves, even to the point of laying
down their life for their sheep if necessary.
This is what Christ did—he was the Lord God, and yet a little
Child. He was the creator of the
universe, and yet washed the feet of his disciples. He was Christ the King, and yet he died for
his people. Those who follow Christ must
do the same, or at least be prepared to do the same. We must lead
our neighbour, leading them, but not lording it over them, leading by our
example of generosity, humility and charity, drawing them at all times gently
to the truth of our Catholic faith. And
at the same time as we lead them, we must serve them. Whether we are laymen or priests, men of
importance and influence, or humble workers, kings or shepherds, our task is
the same. Lead and serve.
Christ the Good Shepherd calls us
to this vocation. He calls us from the
very manger, by his example of humility.
When this little Child is finally exalted in the 33rd year of
his life, it is only to be raised high, exalted, on the gibbet of the Cross. If we are to be exalted, let us look to such a
fate, let us even look forward to such a death, a martyr’s death, the true
glory that comes from humiliation. This
is the glory of the crucified Lord that shone from the broken body on the Cross. It is the glory of the lowly infant in the
manger illuminating us from the dark poverty of his humble stable. Do you seek glory? Seek first to be humbled.
Christ humbled himself that he might exalt the
whole human race. He came down to what
was lowest that he might raise up the humble.
He became man, born of a virgin, that he might re-form in man the
heavenly image of God that had been corrupted.
As we seek in vain for leadership from our shepherds in Rome, let us
turn instead to the Christ Child in the manger.
Along with the shepherds from the fields, let us adore him, the Good
Shepherd. Let us cling to him alone and
seek to please him by our devoted service.
