Homily for 29 Dec 2015

29 Dec 2015

In this season of peace and goodwill, we might have more compassion and love than otherwise.  And that’s a good thing.  Hopefully, Jesus the Prince of Peace and the Light of the World would have that effect on us.  As we heard, Simeon was overjoyed to see the salvation of God in the infant Jesus.  Jesus was the Light; he was the Presence of salvation to the old man. 

And that’s the sort of effect that the Spirit of Christmas moves us to have on others.  But sometimes the question is how to be the Light of Christ to others.  How do we bring peace and happiness and goodwill toward others?  Well, of course, we’ll spend our whole lives answering that question.  But right off the bat, a good thing to consider is how Christ himself is the Light to others.

You know, so often, he doesn’t just do things for people.  He doesn’t say: “Stand back, let me take care of that.”  Instead, he might give somebody a helping hand . . . and then let them get back on their own two feet by themselves.  Sometimes being the Light of Christ means to step back and let them do it themselves—whatever “it” is.

We hear about this in the social teaching of the Church.  There’s a certain dignity in human work.  By laboring and even struggling, we humans fulfill our potential as thinkers, as problem-solvers, as creatures given the ability to be industrious and creative.  Sometimes being the Light of Christ to others means encouraging them, offering support and help, but then standing back and letting them do it themselves.

In this season of peace and goodwill, may we see our brothers and sisters in need not as charity-cases, but as brothers and sisters in Christ; as fellow human beings who have the ability to stand on their own two feet.  May salvation come to them (and us) through simple words of encouragement.