“And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
Christmas is thought of as a day full of gifts, family, and food. While all of these things happen, we should always look to rejoice in what took place during this feast. As the Entrance Antiphon states, “Let us all rejoice in the Lord. For our Savior is born into the world; today true peace has come down on us from heaven.” [1]
It is always good to know information about Christmas, but it is when we truly go deeper in contemplation and adore our Lord that we will truly appreciate what God did for us.
How do we adore our Lord? Make no mistake, this journey is not an easy path. We must imitate the poor shepherds who came to our Lord with humility and simplicity. There is nothing tangible that we can give our Lord except for our devotion. He is truly the only one we need. As a popular Spanish carol says, “There is no journey so great as that of seeking Christ There is no journey so great as that of looking for Christ There is no journey so great”. The carol sings of the journey to the child Christ Jesus, and how full of joy we will have if we truly seek Him.
Who should seek Christ? All of us are called to seek Jesus. As Pope St. Leo the Great said, “Nobody should feel excluded from sharing in such joy. Our reason for rejoicing is common to all, because Our Lord, destroyer of sin and death, not finding anyone free of sin has come to free us all. Let the just man rejoice as victory approaches. Let the Gentile rejoice, for he is called to life.” [2]
What should we contemplate on Christmas? When we look past the gifts, advertisements, and store sales, we can see that today is the day our salvation was won. It is the beginning of the end of Satan’s reign, for the seed, Jesus, of the woman, Mary, came to crush its head. “Today our Savior is born. There can be no room for sadness when Life has just been born; that Life which overcomes all fear of death and fills us with the joy of the pledge of eternity.” [3] “My very soul has melted at the sound of these words and my spirit is burning in my bosom, eager with its constant adore of desire to communicate to you its own joy and exultation.” [4]
Today, let us take time to contemplate the child Jesus. Whether we look at a nativity scene, pray the Joyful Mysteries, or celebrate at Mass, “let us thank God for having wanted to come down to us so that we could understand him and love him. Let us make up our minds to become as little children so as to enter one day into the kingdom of heaven. We will finish our prayer telling our Father God: ‘Your son was willing to share in our manhood; grant us a share in his godhead.’(Collect, Christmas Day)” [5]
[1] Entrance Antiphon, Midnight Mass
[2] Sermon on the Birth of Our Lord, 1:3
[3] St. Leo the Great, Sermon on the Birth of Our Lord, 1:3
[4] St. Bernard, Sermons for Christmas Eve 6:1
[5] Hernandez, In Conversation with God, 1:30.3