What do you, me and God have in common? All of us are human.
That's what Christmas celebrates - God's decision to be like you and like me. And when I think of it that way, it comes into clear focus why it is such a wonderful thing to celebrate.
This point comes from a homily I heard many years ago that you can find here by Fr. Michael Himes. It has stuck with me in many, many ways. (Do yourself a favor....spend the 17 minutes this Christmas season and watch it.)
It is in the fullness of humanity where we find the fullness of divinity, and vice versa. What does that mean? It means our day to day work is to become more and more human; to be as human as we can possibly be. Where do we look to determine what "being human" means? The gospels.
What does it mean to be truly human? It is our lifetime pursuit and is hard work. But the pursuit is worthwhile, as in it, we discover God in ourselves and each other.
When we look in the manger this Christmas season, let's understand both the privilege and responsibility we uncover. Yes, let's praise Him and adore Him. But after that, let's make sure we see His mission through - which is rooted in the exchange of His becoming like us, so we can be like Him for others.
That's what Christmas celebrates - God's decision to be like you and like me. And when I think of it that way, it comes into clear focus why it is such a wonderful thing to celebrate.
This point comes from a homily I heard many years ago that you can find here by Fr. Michael Himes. It has stuck with me in many, many ways. (Do yourself a favor....spend the 17 minutes this Christmas season and watch it.)
It is in the fullness of humanity where we find the fullness of divinity, and vice versa. What does that mean? It means our day to day work is to become more and more human; to be as human as we can possibly be. Where do we look to determine what "being human" means? The gospels.
What does it mean to be truly human? It is our lifetime pursuit and is hard work. But the pursuit is worthwhile, as in it, we discover God in ourselves and each other.
When we look in the manger this Christmas season, let's understand both the privilege and responsibility we uncover. Yes, let's praise Him and adore Him. But after that, let's make sure we see His mission through - which is rooted in the exchange of His becoming like us, so we can be like Him for others.