CHRISTMAS HOMILY YEAR A 2025
IN A TROUBLED WORLD, HOPE, PEACE AND GOOD WILL FOR ALL
Lk 2.1-20 Is 9.1-7 Titus 16.25-27
Rhyme Bible Intro: “The Special Baby” & “The Shepherds”
When I was parish priest in Manly, there was a lovely young lady in Grade 6, with an Irish Catholic father and American Jewish mother from New York. She told me she had the best of both worlds, at this time of year, celebrating the Jewish feast of lights at Hannukah, which went on for over a week, and then Christmas. She seemed to me to have the right approach!
Michael Idato, film reviewer, writes of Christmas with great insight: “We must find tables to gather around. Sing Christmas – or Hannukah- songs together. And take the hands of the people sitting on each side of us – friends, family, and especially strangers – and let that physical connection serve as a reminder of our own shared humanity. Don’t be afraid to laugh, even in the face of great darkness. Don’t be afraid to cry either. It’s even OK to feel angry, frustrated and powerless… It’s better we talk to each other about how we feel, rather than let our fear, pain and loss fester in silence… Don’t let your anxieties overtake you… Cherish those you love, take a moment to remember those who cannot be with us, and do not forget those who are still processing their grief. And if you don’t believe in anything, then at least believe in the possibility of the Christmas spirit… and the kindness and gentility it bestows. In 2025, the greatest gift we can share is that we have each other, and that we still have the clarity of purpose and the purity of heart to invest in a better future for us all.”
Today’s Age editorial is headed “We must keep flame of kindness alight”, quoting Ian Wilkinson, the survivor of the mushroom meal, also a pastor, who expressed forgiveness for the perpetrator, then stating: “It’s one of the shortcomings of our society that so much attention is showered on those who do evil and so little on those who do good… I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other.” The reflection concludes: “We must be able to keep the flickering flame of kindness alight… The life of our community depends on it.”
So, we gather as people of Christian faith, to celebrate the birth of Jesus among us, revealing in his presence and person a God of life and love, and we wonder at the mystery of it all. It’s a simple story of ordinary people of their time, young Mary and Joseph, accepting in faith their role in raising Jesus, as loving parents, and taking responsibility for his care and growth into adulthood.
The Nativity story is stark and simple, no frills at all, although Luke livens it up with the herald angels singing, and lighting up the sky, then counter-balanced by the dirty old shepherds out in the fields, who get all excited and are the outsiders in on the scene, getting in first. Matthew has the mystical Magi come from afar later on.
We can contemporise this story by looking around at our world today, where we see so much conflict and hostility, with so many refugees still on the move, displaced from their homelands through war, racism or poverty, seeking a better life for their families and their children, in particular.
Once again, I have to go back to Christmas 1968, when humans first escaped earth’s gravity and circled the moon. The iconic pictures of “The Blue Planet” and “Earthrise” (put up pictures) surely remind us all of the fragility and preciousness of life for the 8 billion humans on this planet, and the need to protect and preserve its resources and beauty, for future generations.
We can feel helpless in the broader picture, but can only do our own small bit, by trying to live the Gospel as best we can, as people who take the Christmas message seriously. It starts at home, where we need to accept each other’s differences, and seek justice, peace and mutual understanding, as well as having a capacity to forgive and accept forgiveness where it is needed by us.
2025 has, in many ways, been a terrible year, particularly with the recent tragic event in our own backyard at Bondi, but in terms of ongoing conflicts, abuse of human rights, increasing division and a tendency for dictatorships rather than open and free democracies. At the same time, we Christians are called to be people of hope, despite the things that go wrong.
George Browning, retired Anglican bishop, writes of “Peace, power and the meaning of Christmas”, as he reflects on the past year: “Peace is a by-product of something else. What Christians came slowly to understand was that on that first Christmas morning the true nature of God and the true nature of humanity were both being revealed, and peace was the outcome of the relationship between the two. In personal or family affairs, peace or harmony can only happen when the reasons for grievance or simple misunderstanding, have been dealt with… (For believers) Jesus is the human face of God… True humanity is not exhibited in power and might, but seen in sacrifice, service, humility, empathy and courage… It appears the more money we have, the less we believe we have… Be of service.” And, with this attitude we may well find peace and happiness within ourselves. The message resonates within us, as we try to reflect the spirit of Christmas in our own lives. It’s a constant challenge for all of us, you and me!
And also, I very much like to highlight the joyful, imaginative and fun aspects of Christmas in our secular world, with Father Christmas or Santa Claus playing a central part! In fact, I believe it’s important to engage the sacred with the secular to be a positive influence to those who don’t think as we do. The true meaning of Christmas is connected to how we try to live the spirit of peace and good will, in our own lives.
From Dickens’ Scrooge to Dr Seuss’s Grinch, to Mr Bean, books, films, TV series, and all sorts of commemorations, have so much focus on something special and different at Christmas, with a general common theme of generosity, sensitivity, and hoped for conversion from stinginess and self-interest, although I don’t think Mr Bean ever quite got the message!
Now I conclude with a story, short and simple, but with a positive and hopeful Christmas message for the future for us all. It’s a poetic reflection on the hymn, titled “Silent Night” (by Juliet Groom and Tim Wornes), concluding with words of hope for our wide and wonderful world.
And so we celebrate this birth of Jesus among us, as faithful people of peace, good will, hope, joy, generosity and love, in the spirit of the season.
john hannon Christmas 2025
Buon Natale, Joyeux Noel, Felix Navidad, Nolag Sona Dibh (Gaelic), Salamat Natal (Indonesian), Shengdan jie kuaile (Mandarin), Giang sinh vui ve (Vietnamese), Maligayang Pasko (Tagalog), Zalig Kezstfes (Dutch), Frohe Weihnachten (German), Vesele vanoce (Czech!) Kala Christogenna (Greek), Sretan Bozic (Croatian), Wesolych Swiat (Polish), il-Milied it tajjeb (Maltese)
So it’s a happy Christmas, and a Happy, healthy and safe New Year in 2026 to all.