Nativity scene, Mission Church, Kabul, 2016
The Mass of Christmas Day, unlike that
celebrated during the night, instead of presenting the story of the birth of
Jesus, proposes the prologue of John’s gospel, thus inviting us to reflect upon
the mystery we celebrate today.
Who is the Child we see in the manger? Many
would answer this question saying: He is one who is going to become famous; he
will have many followers; a lot of people will convert to him and fashion their
lives on his teachings. He will be so important, that men after him will start
counting years from his birth. All that is true: Jesus is really the center of
history. But why? He was neither an emperor, nor a king, a general or a
political leader; he was neither a philosopher, nor a writer, an artist or a
musician. We could answer: he was a wise man, a prophet, a teacher, the founder
of a new religion. That also is right, but it is not enough to explain the
importance of Jesus. How many other wise men, prophets, teachers and founders
of religions have existed in history, without becoming so important as him.
Moreover, if we consider the end he met, it is difficult to understand how one
who was sentenced to death on a cross may have then become the most important man in
history. We would rather call him a loser, a defeated person, a failure.
Saint John, in his gospel, discloses to us who
really is Jesus. He is the Word of God, coeternal with God, he himself God. He
is the one through whom the world was created. At a certain point this Word came
into the world: “And the Word became flesh (Et Verbum caro factum est) and made his dwelling among us.”
Since he was the Creator and Lord of the world, men should recognize him and welcome
him with full honors; “but the world did not know him … his own people did not
accept him.”
Why did the Word of God become man? So that
those who would accept him may become, like him, children of God. God becomes
man, so that man may become God. How can we accept him? Those who believe in
him, they are the ones who accept him. We accept Jesus Christ, if we recognize
his true identity: if we believe that he is not an ordinary man, but the Son of
God become man.
How can we believe that? Our faith is based on
the testimony of those who “saw.” Today’s gospel presents two of them, both
John by name. The first one, the Baptist, gave this witness: “I saw the Spirit
come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but
the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the
Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy
Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” (Jn 1:32-34).
The second John, the Apostle and Evangelist, bears his testimony in today’s
gospel: “We saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son.” John was
witness to the glory of Jesus on innumerable occasions, beginning from the
first miracle in Cana, passing through the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, to
arrive at the paschal experience of the resurrection. When he entered the empty
tomb of Jesus, the gospel points out: “He saw and believed” (Jn 20:8). The
eyewitnesses of Jesus saw and believed; we, relying on their testimony,
believe, as well.
In today’s gospel, John states that Jesus was
“full of grace and truth,” and then adds that “from his fullness we have all
received, grace upon grace.” Whatever we have, whatever we are, comes from him;
it is a participation in his fullness. Without him we would be nothing. He came
down from heaven to share with us his fullness. He did not want to keep
divinity for himself; he willed to share it with us. He did not want to be the
only Son of God; he willed men, who had been created on his image, to become
his brothers. How can we remain unmoved in front of such a great love? God asks
nothing of us but to recognize and accept his Son, whom he sent among us.
Q
