Gospel-Homily for Christmas Day (2024)

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Players, Not Fans.

What is the first thing you notice when Jesus is born? Accessibility. To put this in perspective, I love to fly fish at Cape Cod. Barnstable Harbor is a favorite spot. It is miles long with very little access to the water. There are “No Parking” signs on every street: “Keep Out,” “No Trespassing,” “We hate you,” and “Leave your wallet and go away.” Some nice person told me about a parking space with access and gave me the following warning, “Make sure you tell no one about this place.”

The first thing we notice about God is that he does not need a lot of money, a fine palace surrounded by an army with keep-out signs. God is accessible. Why is that? Because God knows that when we see Him for the first time, we want to be with Him. When Peter saw Jesus for the first time, he left his boat and career to be with Jesus. When Matthew, the tax collector, saw Jesus, he left the greatest job in the ancient world so He would be with Him. Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus for the first time and then had him over to his house for a banquet.

But know this, God does not want fans, He wants players.

My friend went to one of the Stanly Cup games. He said it was a thrilling experience. He brought back a “fan towel” from the game. When the Bruins scored a goal, the fans waved the “fan towel” in the air to celebrate. I thought how much better it would have been if it were a hockey puck instead. Think of what scoring a goal during the Stanley Cup would be like. What a thrill that would be. Instead of being in the stands watching the game, you would be on the ice playing the game.

The first time we see God, we want to be with Him, but remember this: God wants us to be players, not spectators.