What did you get Jesus for His Birthday?

Homily originally presented December 25,2020

by Monsignor Deering

I grew up in a family of 5 kids … I have 3 brothers and a sister.

Like many kids, our Birthdays were special occasions because we got presents …

Mom and Dad gave us gifts and surprises that made you feel very special.

When a birthday came around, not everyone in the family got presents …

just the one celebrating their birthday.

Of course the others always wanted to help you open your presents and ...

and they wanted to help you blow out the candles on your cake too!

But your Birthday was really your special day … you were the center of attention.

Today is Christmas Eve / Day. It commemorates an important Birthday.

Whose Birthday is it?

It’s Jesus’ Birthday!

He was born December 25^th ... 2020 years ago and He lives forever in Heaven.

So it’s Jesus’ Birthday!

And yet, how do most people celebrate this day?

Getting presents for everyone but Jesus!        

Imagine sitting in your Family Room on your Birthday and your family and friends all come over & they give gifts to one another & nothing to you! How’d you feel?

You’d say something is very wrong with this picture?

Well, who’s Birthday is it today?               It’s Jesus’ Birthday!

So who should get the presents?                           Jesus!

But who really does get the presents?         Everyone but Jesus!      

For 3 months now, stores have been advertising what you should get for your Husband or your Wife ... your Boyfriend or your Girlfriend ... your Mom or your Dad,

your Kids, your Boss, your Co-worker. But it’s not their birthday … it’s Jesus’ Birthday.

So, tell me ... what did you get for Jesus ... for his Birthday?

What “doorbuster special” did you claim for Him?

Was He even on your list?

You know speaking of lists, as I was getting my hair cut at the barber,

I overheard a stylist say that she was finally ready for Christmas ...

 because she had gotten everything that her husband had on his wish list!

She went on to explain that she and her husband exchange wish lists of things

that they each want so they know exactly what to go out and buy!

For example he may write that he wants an electric shaver, a brown belt and an Alabama Cap. And then she goes out and gets those things and wraps them ...

and he opens them up and acts surprised!

I don’t actually agree with that process in that I think it takes all the mystery

and anticipation and surprise out of the process of receiving a gift.

But that’s how she said ... she got ready for Christmas … she went out and bought presents for ... her husband.        But Christmas is not her husband’s birthday!

Christmas is Jesus’ Birthday! So the question remains, what did you get for Jesus?

Well, what do you think Jesus would want for His Birthday?

And don’t tell me that He’s a man who has everything!

He is indeed a man … He’s the God-man!  

And He does have just about everything ... He owns the world & everything in it.

.

But there is one thing ... that He doesn’t have …

and that’s the love of every human person.

That’s the gift that Jesus really wants to have for His Birthday.

He wants every person to know Him and love Him.

But sadly, even though the whole world marks time ... based on Jesus’ Birthday,

only 1/3 of the World claim Him as their friend … and

many of those aren’t passionate and faithful in expressing their love for Him. 

This is quite hard to imagine because Jesus’ desire for our love

has been on His Wish List for a very long time ...

          all the way back to the 10 Commandments! 

In fact, the First 3 Commandments all describe God’s desire for us to:

 love Him ... honor Him ... and worship Him ... particularly by gathering in His House as Community every Sunday to praise Him and receive His blessing.

And yet so many people don’t go. They may go on Christmas or when they feel like it, but the gift that God wants is to see them together weekly, 52 times a year!

Another mention of God’s Wish List came at the Baptism of Jesus,

when the Heavens parted and the voice of the Father was heard saying,

“This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!”

What does God the Father want us to do?      Listen to his Son!

And yet so few people really do listen to Jesus.

Many just listen to the world and go their own way and do their own thing.

That’s why generation after generation ... God’s Wish List never changes ...

but remains the same ... with the same heartfelt desire ...

for us to love Him and follow Him!

Now, if you were to make a Wish List for God, what would it include?

It would probably include receiving ... the gift of Peace and the gift of Love.

Those are priceless treasures that mankind has always sought to have.

Well, God answered our Wish List in a special way 2020 years ago when He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to be born into our world as a Human Being!

This is what we celebrate tonight ...  the Birth ... the Incarnation of God.

God came to be with us … God became man,

So huge was this event for our salvation, that we normally reverence it

by bowing when praying the Creed.

On this, Jesus’ actual Birthday, we’ll genuflect to give extra reverence

to this great event.

Who is Jesus? In our First Reading, Isaiah called Him the Prince of Peace!

Who is Jesus? As the Son of God, (who is Love), Jesus is Love incarnate.

We want Peace and Love. Well, Peace & Love were given to us

    on that First Christmas night.

God honored our Wish List!        Can we honor His?

It’s Jesus’ Birthday, so, what present are you going to give to Him?

The gift Jesus wants is your love … your full, faithful, sincere and devoted love!

That’s the gift that will make Him most happy.

Today, as we celebrate the Birthday of Jesus ...

let’s offer our gratitude to the Father for His wonderful gift to us ...

          His only begotten Son ... who is the fullness of Peace and Love.

And let’s re-commit ourselves to loving Jesus as He desires … fully and faithfully … so that one day we can receive the wonderful Present He has waiting for us …

an everlasting place with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.