Homily for the Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas (Year C - 12/30/2024)

Good morning. In the Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Christmas Carol”, Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, says this to his uncle about Christmastime: “I have always thought of Christmastime. . . as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of. . . when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys” (p. 9).

What Fred describes here is, I believe, the Spirit of Christmas that dwells in our hearts when we desire the “love of the Father” in us. This love of the Father manifests in our kindness, forgiveness, and charity toward one another. We keep the Spirit of Christmas throughout the year when we open our “shut-up hearts” to the things of God and do not “love the world or the things of the world” above our love for God Not love the world or things of the world? How are we to understand this? There is evil in the world, yes; just listen to how Saint John describes it: “all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.” However, there is also good in the world, should we not love the world that we live in?

Perhaps this biblical understanding of the “world” can give us some clarity: “The world [is] all that is hostile toward God and alienated from him. Love of the world and love of God are thus mutually exclusive” (USCCB.org), because “the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” In today’s Gospel, the prophetess, Anna, shows us how we can keep our hearts open to the things of God and overcome the temptations from the things of the world that leads us away from God.

We hear that the prophetess, Anna, worshipped God night and day with fasting and prayer and gave thanks to God. When we have a robust spiritual life, prayer helps us to stay focused on God. Moreover, fasting trains our mind and body to be prudent in the things of God and to deny ourselves those things that do not help us grow in our relationship with Him. Therefore, may we always strive to grow and become strong in our faith through prayers and fasting, as that we may be filled with the wisdom of God, and desire to have the favor of God upon us, rather than the things of the world. You all, my sisters and brothers in Christ, are on the right path by coming to Mass every morning to worship God, to receive our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and to let the Spirit of God dwell within us.