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December 26, 2022Abu Dhabi.
Bishop Paolo Martinelli presided over the Midnight Mass for Christmas 2022 at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Abu Dhabi.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered during the occasion.
“There is a Child born for us”. With these words, the prophet Isaiah predicts well in advance the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God that we celebrate today, his birth on earth.
A family is filled with light and joy when a child is born. The birth of a child makes you think about the future. Children are our future. A society without children is a sad society.
But this child has a special grace. His birth brightens our future and opens the way for us toward destiny towards the ultimate goal of our earthly journey.
This child is the Son of God who became a son of man to make every man and woman, children of God.
But why was the Word of God made flesh? Why did God, the Most High, the omnipotent, the eternal, want to enter time? Why Did he become poor, take on a body like ours, and suffer from cold, heat, hunger, and thirst? Why did God want to show himself so fragile in our eyes?
There have always been significant discussions about these questions, as at the beginning of Christianity. Why did God manifest himself with a humble face? When we think of God, we rightly consider him the great mystery. We cannot think of anything greater than the reality of God.
For this reason, before the divine mystery, we feel called to submit to his will. But tonight, we celebrate something humanly unthinkable. With the incarnation, God wanted to submit himself to time and space. The word of God has become one like us. He needed everything: he needed a family like ours, and he needed his mother's care. Someone might think: why didn't God immediately manifest himself in his glory so that everyone submits to him and his divine will? He could have manifested his omnipotence by entering the world. And instead, as the prophet Isaiah tells us: a child was born for us.
Let us try to answer this vital question. Here we find the very heart of Christianity. First, the word of God has become one of us to be listened to and accepted by us. In fact, how would a human creature listen to the word of God, which is infinite and eternal? God is God, and the human creature is limited. This is why the fathers of the Church say the word of God has been abbreviated- shortened. He wanted to express himself in a human way so that all men and women could hear this word and freely welcome it. In Jesus, God told himself in a short form so that all men could understand his language.
God has done as we must do when we go to live in a country that is not ours and where a different language is spoken. For example, I come from Italy, where Italian is spoken.
Here, the Word of God had to be expressed in human words to be understood by us. Jesus had translated divine life into human life. Truly God communicated himself to everyone in an understandable way: "God's grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race". This child was born for everyone, without exception.
But perhaps we can discover another reason why God wanted to manifest himself above all by being born among us as a child in need of everything. In this way God wished to show his humble face. What a surprise: God is humble.
St. Francis of Assisi goes so far as to proclaim that God himself is humility.
In the face of this humility of God, we feel deeply loved. Showing himself poor to us, Jesus wanted to conquer our hearts. He wants us to welcome him freely out of love and not out of fear. God does not wish for our fear but our love and our freedom. This is why the angel of God appearing to the shepherds says: "Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people”
The angel of God also addresses these words to us. In fact, today, we celebrate not only the memory of an event that happened more than two thousand years ago. Jesus comes among us today, this night. Even today, he is Emmanuel, God with us. He comes in the Eucharist that we celebrate every day. Every day the Lord humbles himself and descends on the altar to be welcomed by us. Every day Jesus comes to his people, which is the Church. Jesus comes to us in the poor and needy and in all life circumstances.
Dear brothers and sisters, let the humility of Jesus conquer our hearts. His humble love unmasks bullies and the proud heart of this world.
We welcome Jesus among us into our families and communities.
And let us welcome one another in the name of Jesus.
Jesus is light in our steps. He overcomes darkness. Jesus is the life that conquers death. Jesus is the forgiveness that makes you born again.
Let's remove all sadness from our hearts on this day. A child is born for us: he is God with us. Merry Christmas.