In the inn of our own hearts, there is an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. We are missioned to be the bearers to the keepers of the mystery of Christmas.

The first Scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah proclaimed:  “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light:  upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.  You have brought abundant joy and great rejoicing.”

This is a wonderful, wonderful way of describing the Christmas mystery.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel  -- not just a temporary flicker but an eternal flame.   We are indeed a people who wait in joyful hope not because the darkness is over, but because the Light is with us now, and the Light will overcome the darkness.

I see darkness in the halls of Congress where there is a distinct lack of dialogue and honest listening to one another. I see darkness when we cannot trust one another and instead we fear for our safety and security; and I see darkness in the brokenness of too many relationships.

On the other hand, I  see only light when I participate in our children’s lessons and carols and in our school’s Christmas concert.  Our children are beacons of God’s light and love.  There is so much enthusiasm and beauty and love when our parish families gather and speak the language of love to one another.  There is so much potential for us to be the light shining in the darkness.  And so, we gather on this Christmas feast to celebrate the light of Christ – that light that overcomes the darkness of our lives; that light of Christ that brings joy to our Spirit; that light that brings hope and the deepest meaning to our lives.

The message of Christmas is that Jesus comes for people in dark places.  The real, lasting, and deep joy of Christmas is that light shines in the darkness.   The Christmas story affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines.  Because of Christmas, it will never get so dark that you can’t see the light.

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.

This night of mystery had its origins on the darkened hills of Judea.  In a manger, in a town far away, among shepherds, and in the dark of night, Jesus is born.  Our salvation is dawned with the messiness, poverty, and weakness of ordinary human life.  This hardly seems a very auspicious beginning to the dawn of salvation.

“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  No room in the inn is not simply a description of the housing situation in Bethlehem at the time.  It is a probing statement that is meant for us to continually reflect upon as we retell the Christmas story.

 And so, may I ask you what is the housing situation in the inn of your heart?   Is there room in the inn of our hearts for the birth of the Savior?    Is there room in the inn of your heart for the family member for whom you have difficulty getting along with?  Is there room in the inn of your heart for people who think differently than you -- politically, religiously, or in any way whatsoever?  Is there room in the inn of our hearts for Jesus who lives in the hearts of the poor, the immigrants, and children of all cultures and of all ways of life?

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.

Our exterior Christmas decorations are up and they are beautiful.  What about our interior Christmas decorations?  May we allow the peace of Christ to enter once again into our lives, calming all of our anxieties and filling with all that is good.

I had a most beautiful Christmas moment earlier this month when we were celebrating First Reconciliation with our second graders.  I just celebrated this sacrament of God’s merciful move in the life of this young seven year parishioner.   After her confession, she said:  “Father I have a question for you.”  I politely asked what her question was.  She asked me:  “Father, do you ever sin?”  The preciousness of her question made me fully realize that yes I am a sinner; I stand in need of God’s forgiveness; and this beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation expresses God’s desire to share forgiveness and love with one and all.

God desires to be part of my life as Lord and Savior.

Christmas is not simply about Mary and Joseph and the baby.  It is about God becoming part of our daily struggle, transforming the world through us.  We are the people who walk in darkness – the darkness of sin, the darkness of war, the darkness of relationships that are broken, and the darkness of the threat of violence and terrorism. 

You may be sure that to whatever area of our life we allow the Christ child to enter, the darkness recedes.  The mystery of Christmas is allowing the person of Jesus to enter the inn of our hearts.  It is an invitation to look at our present moment through a different lens, the mystery of the nativity of Jesus, the wonder of the Incarnation.  This new lens enables us to see a new and radiant vision, a light for people who walk in darkness.

When the Lord of history, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, broke the silence of the centuries and spoke in the darkness of that first Christmas night, he spoke through a vulnerable infant in a manger.

Yet we may be confident that the final word of the story will be one of light shining in the darkness and life triumphant over death.  The true gift of Christmas is the ability to discover God in the midst of brokenness and darkness.  The spiritual power given to us in the mystery of Christmas is the power of our faith -- the faith that enables us to hear the Christmas story filled with the promise that our future is full of hope and that we always and forever are God’s beloved sons and daughters. 

In the inn of our own hearts, there is an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  We are missioned to be the keepers of the mystery of Christmas – God is with us. We give birth to Christ when we allow the light that is within us to extend to our family, and our parish family, and to all of creation.

We celebrate Christmas with our children.  We tell the Christmas story that is ageless and needs to be told and retold again and again.  From the darkened hills of Judea in the dark of night long ago to this liturgy we celebrate, Jesus is present in our midst when we speak the language of love to each other, when we share our giftedness with one another, and when we gather around the Table of the Lord in awe and mystery to give thanks to the Lord our God.