Bishop Paolo's Homily or Christmas Day Mass 2022

Abu Dhabi.

Below is the full text of the homily delivered by Bishop Paolo Martinelli for the Christmas Day Mass 2022 at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi.

In the mass we celebrated at midnight, we heard the announcement of the ancient prophecy: "There is a Child born for us". The gospel we have heard now describes to us who really is this child born for us: The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word of God has become flesh. It means that he has become a human being like us. He took our human condition upon himself, with all the difficulties and limitations. Even the letter to the Hebrews confirms this great mystery for us: At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.

The eternal Son of God made man is God's last and definitive Word to us. Why wasn't it enough for God to speak to us through the beauty of creation, the creative ingenuity of the human person, or to communicate through the gift of the ancient law and the prophecies of the old testament? 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 greatness so that everyone submits to him and his divine will? He could have manifested his omnipotence by entering the world.

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.

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.

“The Word was made flesh”: this event is not closed in the past. Today, we celebrate not only the memory of an event that happened more than two thousand years ago. Jesus comes among us today, this day. 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.

Let us ask Jesus to enable us to become joyful heralds of the good news of Christmas. As we heard from the prophet Isaiah: How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation, and tells Zion, 'Your God is king!'

Dear brothers and sisters, sometimes we have to bring sad news when something wrong happens. But today, we are called to become messengers of excellent news. Emmanuel was born, God with us. I invite you to be heralds of God's love. Communicate this love in your families to your children. Witness this love for everyone with your good life. Merry Christmas!