Midnight Mass

A full transcript of Fr. Swann's Homily:

It is easy to think Christmas, and it may be easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas,”
This year ---where is the intersection of the truth of our “frenzied lives” and the truth of the Christmas story? How will we “incarnate it” anew—in each other, in the power of the Holy Spirit—at this “crucial time” in the world’s struggle for true “peace on earth—and good will toward ALL persons” For most of us-- Christmas is the birthday of Jesus—and it is that! For the New Testament, and for the Church…. it is rather the “birthday” of The Good News, of The Great Revelation. The “Good News”- being that God was in Jesus the Christ—revealing himself and---reconciling (re-connecting) all humanity to Himself in love.Christ, himself, did not “begin to exist” on the first Christmas Day. He was with God the Father from all eternity. The world was made through him, and without Him nothing came into being. He was and is “the brightness of the Father’s glory.” He was “in the world” as John tells us in his gospel, long before the Incarnation through Blessed Mary. The “Great Revelation”—the Incarnation-- was made in the “fullness of time”—that is to say “at the earliest possible moment” in the “evolution” of humankind. The “seed was sown” as soon as it could possibly take root. The Anglican Church /the Episcopal Church- with its great emphasis on the Incarnation—the Eternal Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us—could easily be labeled The Church of Christmas. This church festival occupies the pinnacle in our worship and celebration. How do you “explain” the Incarnation? How do you “explain” God’s ultimate self-expression? Theologians through the years have “stammered” and “stuttered” at explanations—but never quite succeeding. Perhaps the best we do is this:
The Ultimate has become limited.
The Undifferentiated has become differentiated.
The Undefined has become defined.

The Infinite has become finite.
The invulnerable has become vulnerable, all through the birth of a baby over two thousand years ago.

Maybe, if we can’t “explain” it we can enter in to it marveling along with the shepherds of old. In Jesus, we declare the ultimate availability of God. For in the little child lying in the straw, with only livestock, a few shepherds and young parents looking on-- the Great Mystery of the Incarnation unfolds. Father David Adam, longtime Vicar of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, in Lindisfarne- that ancient Christian center in the extreme north east of England—told of the time when he was a teenager going on a camping trip in the “wilds” of the moorlands in North Yorkshire. He says it was very late in the afternoon—when he decided that he might go off on his own for a “hike”- leaving the other campers behind.He “wound” his way - quite a distance from the other campers. Suddenly he noticed that it was dark, “pitch dark”- as he began to walk this way and that- he became very frightened, and was on the verge of tears, he felt very inferior, alone—he was lost.

Then just as he was about to “give up”--he saw it—a tent lit up in the darkness of night. It glowed. Inside he could see the “shadows” of familiar forms. He says-- I knew that I was among friends, I was not alone. Father Adams said--- that years later—that experience helped him to understand the concept that “God pitched his tent among us.” God “tabernacled” among us- and we are not alone. God was made flesh and dwelt among us--- we beheld his glory. For those of us with ‘eyes to see’—Jesus is the “clearest” glimpse we have of the Divine. Not only is this a “glimpse”- but—He is the light of the world, and His presence “shines” through his creation. WE are called to “share” that light. Old Zacharias rejoiced at the coming of Jesus saying; “Through the tender mercy of our God….the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

[Remember my summary sentence]-- How do we ACT CHRISTMAS- after we have “thought” Christmas and “believed” Christmas. To help us – let me share a story from Fred Craddock. Dr. Craddock is a New Testament scholar and homilitician- retired from Emory University- who has East Tennessee connections—over the hill- just a way to Johnson University.
His story involves a Missionary who was sent to India toward the end of World War II… After many months, the time came for the missionary to have a “furlough” and return home for a time. His church had wired him money to book passage on a steamer; but when he got to the port city, he discovered that a “boatload” of Jews had been allowed to land temporarily. These were the days when Jews were actually sailing all around the world-- literally looking for a place to live. These particular Jews were staying in attics and warehouses and basements all over the city. It happened to be Christmas, this missionary walked in and with a loud voice said “Merry Christmas.” The Jews, in a mean, loud tone of voice said “we are Jews” and looked at the missionary as if he were crazy. “I know that” said the missionary. “What would you like for Christmas?” In utter amazement- the Jews said “Why, we would like some good pastries like the ones we used to have in Germany.”

So the missionary went out and used the “money for his ticket home”—to buy pastries for all the Jews he could find staying in the port. Of course, he had to wire home “asking for more money”- to book passage. As you might expect—his superiors wired back asking what happened to the money that they had already sent. The missionary wired – and said that he used it to buy pastries for the Jews. His superiors wired back-- “Why did you do that—THEY DON’T EVEN BELIEVE IN JESUS.” He wired in return—“Yes, but I do." That is “acting” like Christmas.
The truth of Christmas is that God has done something new and unique in history---and in our individual lives. “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father."

AS you receive Him—truly present --in Bread and Wine-- in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar- may He kindle in you and me the ability to THINK, BELIEVE AND ACT CHRISTMAS. Amen.