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Christmas Presence

This is a summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily delivered at St. Charles on December 5, 2004

THE OPENING LINE of the gospel distracted me: "John appeared in the desert."

It reminded me of my trip to the Holy Land some years ago. I was accompanied by my sister Miriam and my mother. It was the end of a hot summer, and Israel was burned toast. In a moment of fancy my mother wondered, "If the Lord God could choose wherever he was to come to earth, why did he pick this barren land where he could not find a blade of grass? Why did he not select a spot like our own green isle?" I do not know whether this was a moment of doubt or of national pride.

Today's liturgy focuses on John and his baptism of repentance. He urges us to produce good fruit at the coming of the Lord. The other readings from Isaiah and the psalms clarify the fruit that will signify the Lord's coming: peace, justice and healing.

At a recent dialogue with children, I asked them to tell me what signs would accompany the coming of Christ at Christmas. They were eager to tell me about reindeer, snow, stars, Santa Claus, presents, trees, lights and yes,.the baby Jesus.

Like the children, it is possible for all of us adults to be diverted by the wrappings of the Christmas season. We need to open the package to find the message.

The lion will lie down with the lamb. There will be no more harm on my holy mountain. Hurt, conflict and injustice will give way to the prince of Peace.

Dickens' Christmas Carol reminds us of the thaw that Christmas day can magically bring. The Germans and the English played football in the trenches and sang Stille Nacht on the Holy Night of Christ's birth. The following day they went back to killing.

Yet we know that peace and reconciliation are not just divine gifts that are ready to happen for a day. They are also of our doing. We need to make peace as we prepare for the coming of Christ's light. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

For that reason our parish celebrates the sacrament of reconciliation on December 13, in the middle of the advent season. We may not be able to silence the guns of Iraq, but we can begin to reconcile our relationships in this neighborhood of Arlington.

Let us listen to: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

  or  2004 Homilies