Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from December 25, 2007
"The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:9
Christmas is about absence and presence.
I read about Esperanza and Miguel, and their seven children. He works in construction. Since she came to this country 27 years ago, she has worked cleaning hotels and offices. They have managed to raise and educate their children. A few months ago she was deported, even though she had tried to regularize her status. Miguel thinks her place is with her children. She has gone from a 9 dollars an hour job here, to a 2 dollars a day job in Mexico. Her son laments the fact that she was not here to listen to him sing Jingle Bells with his school choir.
There are other instances of separation. I recently visited a friend. Today it is often impossible not to eavesdrop on a telephone conversation. She was talking to a sister-in-law with regard to holiday arrangements. She had to change her original plan of visiting at Christmas, to a New Year's visit. They offered consolation to a favorite niece, "We will exchange gifts in the new year. That way we will extend Christmas." A few minutes later the phone rang. Her niece was not happy; she was less concerned with gifts than her aunt's company. In her way, the child had a clearer sense of the meaning of Christmas than the adults. It is less about presents than presence.
We can thank the Lord that we are all together tonight. Let us be present to one another throughout the season. It is possible to be in the same room with others and to be absent. It is even possible to be in this room and find oneself distracted by symbols, activities and externals, and miss the presence among us of Emmanuel, God with us..