Christmas December 25, 2024
Fr. Alexander Albert St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville
Where is the peace? Isn’t there supposed to be peace? Christmas songs proclaim “Peace on earth and mercy mild,” the gloria at Mass comes from the Christmas angels singing “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.” Scripture calls Jesus the “Prince of Peace.”
Yet, the Holy Land where Jesus was born is a perpetual warzone. Earth as a whole never goes more than a few decades at a time without some major war happening. The Christmas season is full of parties and decorations, yes, but it’s also full of stress and conflicts: what gifts to buy and the debts we incur, family obligations and tight schedules, waves of grief and sorrow for those who have lost loved ones. A lot of people actually hate this time of year because of these things.
So, where is the peace promised by God? Right where he said it is. In his Son. To see it, to experience it, we need to learn how to see his Son as he really is and not just as we imagine him to be. In an era full of scams and schemes, thieves and liars using phone and internet to pretend to be someone they’re not, this ought to be a pretty easy point to grasp. Being wrong about who someone is can get us into a lot of trouble.
And there are a lot of powers and forces and people who want us to have a false image of Jesus. Not just the devil – that’s an obvious one – but also marketing firms, politicians, secular authors, lazy parents and pastors, rebellious children, and – to an extent – we ourselves kinda want to hold onto some false idea of Jesus. Why would anyone want to do that? Because it’s easier, more profitable, more comfortable, or more exciting than the real thing… at least, so we think.
If I can convince you that Jesus is the judgmental destroyer of all imperfections, maybe I can scare you into doing what I want. If I can convince you that Jesus is the fluffy friend who never objects to anything, then maybe you’ll help me convince myself that my sins aren’t sins. If I can convince you that Jesus would agree with my political party, then maybe you won’t question me when I use power to my own advantage or try to get away with something awful. If I can convince you that Jesus would want you to buy my product – easy money!
But neither fluffy Jesus nor mean Jesus nor political Jesus nor product-placement Jesus can bring us peace. Only the real Jesus can do that. That’s why we don’t see the peace we might expect, because so many people… because you and I so often obscure the real Jesus in favor of whatever version we happen to like most at the moment.
But this isn’t a new problem! All of human history is driven by mankind’s flailing attempts to hold onto the god of our own devising. Whether literal idols or the usual trifecta of power, pleasure, and wealth, human beings often put the wrong thing in the place of God. That’s why Jesus was born in the first place: to give us an image of the real God. And yet, the problems persist.
They do, but so does the solution. While there are similarities between what happened before Jesus and what is happening now, there is also a key difference. The peace, though not perfect and complete everywhere, is actually there. That warzone in the middle east? There are men, women, and children there who know the real Jesus; who, despite losing everything, exude a peace and joy and love that ought to be impossible for victims of perpetual conflict. The great wars of history? In every one that has involved Christians, there are true stories of their love of Jesus injecting impossible moments of peace where the tragedy, hypocrisy, and evil seem to be the worst. Moments like the Christmas Truce in the trenches of World War I where opposing sides played soccer or the Lebanon cease-fire when Mother Teresa walked across a warzone to rescue children.
Fortunate though we are to not face the literal wars caused by idols and false Jesuses, we are nonetheless in need of the peace that only he – the real Jesus – can bring. So, if you do not see the peace he promises, my question to you is this: are you sure you’re looking at the real Jesus? And if not, are you willing to look for him?
Where do we find the real Jesus? Well, you’re in the right place to start: Christmas Mass. There’s a reason the Church gives us different gospels at each of the Masses for Christmas, a reason we have the long list of names at the Christmas Vigil, the appearance of the angels on Christmas Night, and the transcendent account of John’s gospel on Christmas Day. Each of these point to an essential facet of who Jesus is.
Why all the names of who was the father of whom? To show us how God entered into real human history, in the very heart of our mess. Jesus hates sin, yes, but he does not hate sinners. Rather than stamping out every sign of imperfection, he humbly enters into it without himself committing sin. In his list of ancestors, there are kings and warriors and prophets, but also prostitutes, murderers, liars, and thieves.
Why are angels appearing to shepherds? To show us that the glory of God – God’s own son – is not entrusted to the rich and powerful, but to the poor and lowly, to those practiced in caring for others and watching over the vulnerable. Rather than sell us a product, Jesus divests himself of wealth for our sake and asks us to do the same for others.
Why the poetic, highly theological language of John chapter 1? To show us that even while he enters into our brokenness and calls us to a life of self-gift, his ultimate purpose does conquer all evil and sin in the end. The darkness of sin and error has not overcome the light of truth and holiness. In this world, the light of his peace will always look like lights in the darkness, but in the next, there will be no darkness at all. Indeed, this hope of perfect peace is what makes it possible to manifest the hidden, imperfect forms of peace shown us by the saints.
Where is the peace? With Jesus. Sometimes obvious and shining, usually subtle and hidden, the peace of Jesus is real. If you would know that peace, then do not neglect what you’ve begun tonight. Be willing to question what you think you know about Jesus. Do not rely on half-remembered catechism lessons and slanted soundbites and video clips. What relationship would you have with your brother if you only relied on one memory from 5th grade to decide what kind of person he is?
Be willing to let Jesus be born in your hearts today, to make room for him in the inn of your life, to hear Jesus anew, to meet him rather than what people simply say about him. Meet him in the living words of scripture, the movements of the sacraments, the unbroken teaching of the Church, and the lives of the saints. Why? Because the telltale sign of a false Jesus is this: that he is stagnant, unalive, and in the past. Though Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever: he is alive and life is dynamic! We celebrate his birthday today, not his publication date! His Word is living and effective. He is not “God who once did a cool thing and left,” not “God who gave us a book and moved on,” but “God with us.” God is indeed with us. Glory be to God for that and on earth peace to people of good will.