Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones

On this, the last Sunday of the calendar year, I reflected on some of the things I’ve said to you in 2022.  I feel a little guilty that so much of what you’ve had to hear has been a bit on the negative side, although I’ve always tried to bring out the ultimate joy and peace that our trials will one day bring us, and make some sense of this Vale of Tears.  Today though, is different.  Today is Christmas Day.  It is a day of of pure unalloyed rejoicing, a day of joy.  “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King!”

So often have I asked you to look at the terrible woes and evils of the world around us.  But not today.  Not this Christmas Day.  On this day, I ask you to turn away from all the negative aspects of our lives and look instead at one little corner of this often ugly world.  Look to the city of Bethlehem, to a small stable in that city.  Look more closely, past the ox and the ass grazing in their places, past the man and woman kneeling in awestruck prayer.  Look beyond all this and you will see a tiny manger.  And there, hidden under the swaddling clothes, behold your King!  This tiny infant is the source of all joy.  Fall on your knees with Mary and Joseph, and gaze upon him who is the joyful destiny of your lives if you stay loyal and obedient to this tiny newborn Infant, your King.  Let earth receive her King.  Let us receive our King!

But who are we, that we should expect to be invited to this most intimate scene in the life of the Holy Family?  This is the King of Heaven that is born, so should we not expect to see earthly kings kneeling before him?  Not we, we who are nothing, little people who are not leaders of great armies or the wise expounders of great philosophies.  All in good time.  Kings and wise men shall indeed come and worship.  But they will not be the first to do so.

To whom does God the Father send his herald angels to announce the birth of Jesus?  To whom do these angels reveal the sign that the Christ Child is to be found wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger?  Who are these most fortunate and blessed of men?   “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  Yes, my friends, it was to mere shepherds that this most awesome of gifts was given, to men whose humble job it was to keep watch over their flock by night, to throw rocks at the wolves who circled round about, always ready to steal away with one of the little lambs the shepherds guarded.

So as we gaze upon the Christ Child in his crib, let us not think of ourselves as intruders, as those who do not know our place.  No, we too have been invited.  As we move to one side to let the shepherds enter in beside us, let us welcome them as our fellow watchers.  For we play the same role as do these humble country shepherds.  We too watch over our flock, our family, our children, our dear ones.  We too must throw our rocks at anyone who would seek to steal them away from their rightful place at the feet of their little King.

Above all, we must keep watch over this tiny Infant.  We must protect him by preserving the soul-saving Morals, the everlasting Truth of God, and the life-giving Sacraments.  For when this Child grows up, he will remind us that it is he who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, so that if we protect the Way of the Commandments, the Truth of the Faith, and the Life of Sacramental Grace, we are truly keeping watch over this most special little Lamb of God.  We are the new Watchers, the ones chosen by God to live in these times and protect the things of God. 

And unto us is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  Unto us a Child is born.  Let us follow the shepherds as they hear the joyful cries of the herald angels, and then hasten to seek out that Child .  “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”  These shepherds, who had left their beds to attend their flocks, now leave their flocks to seek out the Saviour. “They came with haste.”  To find Jesus, to see Jesus, to serve Jesus, to follow Jesus.  This was their most urgent business and it is ours—let us too make haste.

For as long as we remain Catholics, faithful to this our first business, we will be welcome to join Mary and Joseph at the crib of the Infant King.  And as long as we abide at this humble manger, on our knees before our God, there shall be glory to that God in the highest, and there shall be peace to us who are men of good will.  There shall be joy to the world!