Christmas
Cycle B
December 25, 2020
St. Mary Parish, Pylesville 4, 6, and 8pm
Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center 11am
I Heard the Bells
One hundred and fifty-seven years ago, Christmas of 1863, our nation was deeply divided by the Civil War.
On that Christmas, the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was feeling very down. He was worried about our country and about his son who had been wounded in battle.
Feeling so down, Longfellow scribbled these words: “In despair I bowed my head; `There is no peace on earth,’ I said. `For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to all.’”
Very soon after writing these words, again, on Christmas Day 1863, Longfellow heard the sound of bells from a nearby church. The peeling of those bells lifted him out of his downcast spirit and awakened his faith and hope.
So, in a matter of minutes, Longfellow rewrote his words: “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: `God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, The right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to all.’”
As we all know, Longfellow’s words became our popular carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
I Heard the Word
Those bells reminded Longfellow of God and of what Christmas is all about.
They awakened his faith and hope. They helped him to see the possibilities that Christmas proclaims.
Tonight, the Scripture readings – like the bells – awaken our faith and hope in what the birth of Jesus is all about.
Awaken to Sacredness of Human Life
Most basic and most important of all, tonight’s gospel reveals that God has taken on our humanity in the birth of Jesus.
God is one with us and is present in our humanity. What I see here is that the birth of Jesus awakens our faith in the sacredness of the life of each person.
Aren’t we seeing this reverence for life right now in the untiring commitment of our health care workers in caring for those with Covid? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to do every practical thing we can to protect one another from this virus?
And don’t we see this reverence for life in the hard work and thoughtful care of so many parents for their children? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to care for the life of unborn children and also of all children who are living with no hope?
So, Christmas, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, awakens our faith in the sacredness of human life.
Awaken to Respect for Differences
And then, tonight’s gospel tells about shepherds coming to the manger in Bethlehem.
A few verses after this passage, we hear that wise men from the East also come to see the newborn Savior. These stories tell us that Jesus draws to himself the poor, uneducated shepherds from nearby, and the wealthy, educated wise men from a foreign land.
What I see here is that the birth of Jesus awakens us to a respect for differences. In fact, it awakens us even to a valuing of differences.
Don’t we see this already with our country accomplishing so much when we value both athletes and artists, computer techs and carpenters, delivery drivers and doctors, engineers and electricians, farmers and financial experts, mechanics and military officers, psychologists and plumbers, security guards and scientists, teachers and tailors? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to stop being afraid of differences in other realms of life and realize how enriching they can be?
So, Christmas, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, awakens us to a respect and valuing of differences.
Conclusion
That’s what I am seeing, this Christmas of 2020.
May we allow the bells of Christmas and our Christmas gospel to awaken us in these ways. With that, we can have “peace on earth [and] good will to all.”
