The power of God comes to us in a tiny infant.

In one simple unassuming sentence, the Christmas mystery is revealed.  From the evangelist Luke:  “While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.”  The power of God comes to us in a tiny infant.  God is with us in the Bethlehem infant born to Mary and Joseph.

The mystery of Christmas happens for us  when we connect the story of our lives with the story of Christmas.  The Christmas message is the story of God’s unconditional love for us.  As his disciples we are to fill this world with many other stories that mirror and give witness to God’s love for us.  That is the meaning and wonder of the Incarnation.

A couple of stories that speak the message of Christmas:

In Africa, a tale is told of a boy called Amazu, who was always very inquisitive. One day he asked, "What language does God speak?" But no one could answer him.  He traveled all over his country questioning everyone but could not get a satisfactory answer. Eventually he set out for distant lands on his quest. For a long time he had no success.

At length, he came one night to a village called Bethlehem, and as there was no room in the local inn, he went outside the village in search of shelter for the night. At last he came to a cave and found that a couple and a child also occupied it. He was about to turn away when the young mother spoke, "Welcome Amazu, we've been waiting for you."

The boy, amazed that the woman knew his name, was even more amazed when she went on to say, "For a long time you have been searching the world over to find out what language God speaks. Well, now your journey is over. Tonight you can see with your own eyes the language God speaks. He speaks the language of love."

The woman in the cave spoke the language of love to Amazu in calling him by name.  Amazu knew in his heart he was loved by a person he had never met before.

This I know God is present among when we speak the language of love to each other.  I have reached that age in life when the gift I most appreciate is a smile that speaks the language of love.

When Jesus became an adult and on the night before he died, he said:  “By this all shall know that you are my disciples, the love you have for one another.

May the language of love be in your heart, in your family, in our parish life, in our work place, in our political discourse, in our attitude with Muslims and with all people who believe and act differently than we do.  Jesus came to fill this world with His love and we are to be the witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus.

Another story:

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king who loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived, and he wanted particularly to know about their hardships. Often dressed in the clothes of a worker or a beggar, he visited the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited ever thought he might be their ruler.

Once he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate, and he spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left.

Later when he visited the poor man again, he disclosed his identity saying, "I am your king!" Then the king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he did not.

Instead, he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

This is the true meaning of Christmas.  As is said in the creed we profess together:  "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man."

With much joy and with great anticipation, the Christmas season is the season of gift giving --  most, most especially the gifts we give our children.  May our family Christmas tree be surrounded by the gifts we wish to share.  But at the end of the day,  what we know in our hearts, far greater than any gift we can give our children is the gift they give us  -- the gift of themselves, the gift of their love.  Our children bring out the magic of Christmas.  They speak to us of the presence of Jesus in our lives.

Christmas are my favorite liturgies.  As the pastor, I have the great privilege of presiding at our 2:00 and 4:00 Christmas children’s liturgies and the solemnity of our midnight liturgy.  At the risk of being schizophrenic, the presence of Jesus is revealed fully both in the blessed chaos of our children and in the solemnity of the midnight liturgy.   God is present in the youthful enthusiasm of our children and in the more solemn reverence of our other liturgies.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our children are the bearers of the mystery of Christmas to us, that is say, they are the bearers of the presence of Jesus to us even though the gift of silence is not part of the liturgy.  However, there is equal experience of the presence of Jesus among us in the  gift of silence, the gift of singing the Christmas mystery, the gift of reverence that is part of our other liturgies..

To celebrate Christmas with our children and to celebrate Christmas with those of us who know the Christmas story is ageless and needs to be told and retold with solemnity and reverence is the best of both worlds.  From the darkened hills of Judea in the dark of night long ago to this liturgy celebrated, Jesus is present in our midst when we speak the language of love to each other, when we share the gift of self, and when we gather around the Table of the Lord in awe and mystery to give thanks to the Lord our God.