My Christmas Homily
We have been to church 3 times in three days. Even for us that is a lot. There as Sunday mass, Christmas eve mass, and then today Christmas day mass. Because we went to both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day mass we heard the same homily twice.
As far as Catholic priest preaching goes it wasn't too bad. Honestly most of the homilies I hear are terrible. So, quite honestly, my standards are low. Here is the gist:
Babies change us.
They turn machismo tough guys into softies.
They change how we talk, how we walk, how we interact.
They make us better people
2000 years ago another baby was born who changed us.
Who wants to turn us into tender hearted softies.
Who wants to change our lives.
Let's let ourselves be changed.
By this baby here (the priest was holding one)
and be changed by the baby from 2000 years ago
---
So that was it. Short and sweet and simple.
And so deeply unsatisfying. Seriously it isn't bad. It just wasn't enough.
Here's what I would add if I were (FUCKING EVER!!) given the chance.
---
Babies also change us from the very beginning.
From the very start of their being they take.
They literally take nutrients from their mothers.
They require us to give something.
When they are born they take our sleep
They take our time and our energy.
If we do NOT give of ourselves, from the very beginning then we are not parenting well.
So too of that baby 2000 years ago.
That baby asks us to be changed.
Changed by the sweetness and love and beauty of that baby and that moment.
We are changed by God's love.
Changed by the beauty of God in the world.
Changed by God.
WE are also asked to give.
To give up something.
To share our bodies, share our hearts, share our life's energy.
This is to live the paschal mystery.
How we do that, might be in parenting.
That's one way.
And there are a thousand other ways we are asked to give in this relationship with this Christ child.
Giving up our power.
Giving space for others.
Letting go of our "rightness" in a conversation.
Letting go of our space in our homes.
I don't know what it is for you- that's between you and God.
-
But this is also a long game.
Parents don't give up sleep because it feels good.
Mother's don't give up their privacy because they like it
Parents don't let their kids have their dinner because they like being hungry.
Parents, like Mary and Joseph, do this because parenting is a long game.
Parents make choices to give to their kids because of a hope of who their child is becoming and what kind of gifts their child is and will bring into the world.
We do the same thing.
Living the paschal mystery kind of sucks in the moment.
Saying...."I don't need that..."
Or I'm gonna let my ego be quiet
or I'm gonna give this up
or I am going to go without
Or i am going to lift someone else up
or I am going to quiet myself...
all suck in the moment.
They are not superficially or instantaneously satisfying.
They are drops in the bucket of deep satisfaction.
This Christmas is just about the sweetness of that baby and those shepherds and those (probably)
overwhelmed teenage parents. It is also about the way that living, parenting, and being a Christian is right from the start about rising and dying and living this paschal mystery.
As far as Catholic priest preaching goes it wasn't too bad. Honestly most of the homilies I hear are terrible. So, quite honestly, my standards are low. Here is the gist:
Babies change us.
They turn machismo tough guys into softies.
They change how we talk, how we walk, how we interact.
They make us better people
2000 years ago another baby was born who changed us.
Who wants to turn us into tender hearted softies.
Who wants to change our lives.
Let's let ourselves be changed.
By this baby here (the priest was holding one)
and be changed by the baby from 2000 years ago
---
So that was it. Short and sweet and simple.
And so deeply unsatisfying. Seriously it isn't bad. It just wasn't enough.
Here's what I would add if I were (FUCKING EVER!!) given the chance.
---
Babies also change us from the very beginning.
From the very start of their being they take.
They literally take nutrients from their mothers.
They require us to give something.
When they are born they take our sleep
They take our time and our energy.
If we do NOT give of ourselves, from the very beginning then we are not parenting well.
So too of that baby 2000 years ago.
That baby asks us to be changed.
Changed by the sweetness and love and beauty of that baby and that moment.
We are changed by God's love.
Changed by the beauty of God in the world.
Changed by God.
WE are also asked to give.
To give up something.
To share our bodies, share our hearts, share our life's energy.
This is to live the paschal mystery.
How we do that, might be in parenting.
That's one way.
And there are a thousand other ways we are asked to give in this relationship with this Christ child.
Giving up our power.
Giving space for others.
Letting go of our "rightness" in a conversation.
Letting go of our space in our homes.
I don't know what it is for you- that's between you and God.
-
But this is also a long game.
Parents don't give up sleep because it feels good.
Mother's don't give up their privacy because they like it
Parents don't let their kids have their dinner because they like being hungry.
Parents, like Mary and Joseph, do this because parenting is a long game.
Parents make choices to give to their kids because of a hope of who their child is becoming and what kind of gifts their child is and will bring into the world.
We do the same thing.
Living the paschal mystery kind of sucks in the moment.
Saying...."I don't need that..."
Or I'm gonna let my ego be quiet
or I'm gonna give this up
or I am going to go without
Or i am going to lift someone else up
or I am going to quiet myself...
all suck in the moment.
They are not superficially or instantaneously satisfying.
They are drops in the bucket of deep satisfaction.
This Christmas is just about the sweetness of that baby and those shepherds and those (probably)
overwhelmed teenage parents. It is also about the way that living, parenting, and being a Christian is right from the start about rising and dying and living this paschal mystery.
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