Readings :Is. 62:1-5; Ps 89, Act. 13:16-17.22-25; Matt. 1:1-25
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHY NOT LET THE CHILD JESUS REIGN IN THE LITTLE MANGER OF OUR SOULS
To night we have gathered in anticipation of the birth of our Lord Jesus, whom for the past four weeks now we have been preparing for his coming. To night Jesus is coming to dwell with us for an exchange, he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity. To night Jesus is offering everything, he is sacrificing everything for our salvation. He is giving up his heavenly glory in exchange for our suffering world. He is taking human flesh and becoming man in order to elevate the human person to share in his divinity. To night God is unveiling his Word which became Flesh in the womb of Mary in order to dwell with us. To night the Lord will manifest himself in a little manger in Bethlehem of our souls.
Little wonder in Gospel passage to night, we heard the genealogy of Jesus which gave us the historical plan of God towards the manifestation of his Son, the Word made Flesh. From this genealogy of Jesus, we can observe that generations came, generations goes, great men and women came and passed away, new generations continue to spring up as God continue to unveil his plan for humanity. This genealogy shows how the Lord had revealed to different generations what he was going to do for humanity. For Judah’s kingship over all Israel was given to David, who became the rightful king and God’s chosen one, and God promised that David’s house will rule over Israel forever.
Hence, we heard St. Paul in our second reading to night saying: Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! God chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt; and by divine power he led them out. ‘Then he made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for us one of David’s descendants, the child Jesus, whose coming we await to night. For we heard the Lord in our first reading to night saying: about Zion I will not be silent, about Jerusalem I will not grow weary, until her integrity shines out like the dawn and her salvation flames like a torch.
So, to night the Lord is searching for a dwelling place and the only place available is the little manger of Bethlehem. For down in a little manger lie the child Jesus, no crib for a bed, but, the little Jesus laid down his sweet head on a little manger of humble dwelling of shepherd and his sheep. Here our God became man and took on our flesh. Our Creator became a creature; the One who dwells on highest place, now lay helpless in a manger. The One who is so great and mighty became so tiny, so weak, and so powerless in a manger. The King of the whole world had been made a little child in a manger. The Creator of time has been constraint by time in a manger.
This little manger has become a great sign and symbol. For when the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field to invite them to visit the newborn King, he told them to look for a baby in a manger. But the manger was not just a sign for the shepherds; it’s a sign to all of us that Jesus is accessible to everyone who seeks him in humility. Yes, every humble soul will surely have access to the little manger of Jesus, for the shepherds would not have had access to a baby born in a royal palace, and as strangers, they probably wouldn’t even have had access to a baby born in the confines of a family home. But a manger was accessible to pure, innocent and humble souls.
Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves to night Are: where is the little manger? How can we locate this little manger of Jesus? How prepared is this little manger? Can we say that the little manger is available for the child Jesus to be born in it?
I know a good number of us will still be looking for the little manger of Jesus. I know some will tell me that the manger is right beside us. I know that those who are good with the scripture will tell me that the manger is located in a little town in Bethlehem. Yes, there was a little manger in Bethlehem, and there is a little manger besides us here so beautiful and captivating. But the true little manger is not just in Bethlehem, or the symbol of what we have here in our parish, rather the true little manger of Jesus is my soul, the dwell place of God, which is located in the inner most chamber of my being.
This little manger of my soul is what the child Jesus is searching in order to dwell in it to night. He is searching for a humble soul, he is searching for a peaceful soul. The child Jesus is searching for lovely soul, he is searching for merciful and caring souls of humanity. The Lord is searching for innocent souls who can accommodate and make him accessible to humanity. The little manger of Jesus, that’s who we are, but are we available for the child Jesus to come in and be born in us?
What are we offering for exchange? What are we sacrificing? What are we give up in exchange for God’s love in our lives? Are we ready and prepared to welcome the child Jesus in the little manger of our souls? Are we going to allow him to dwell with us? Are we going to offer him a joyful praise and worship just like the shepherds? Are we going to let him exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity? Are we ready to exchange our worries, burden, sorrows, failures and fears with the smiling, peaceful and loving face of the baby Jesus who will soon make himself present to us?
What is stopping us from welcoming Jesus into the inner manger of our souls. Will you let bitterness and anger occupied the dwelling place of the Lord? Will you let the desire for the things of this passing world prevent you from opening the door of your soul for the child Jesus to come in to night? Will you let unforgiveness and jealousy send the child Jesus away from the manger of your soul? Will you let the ugly attitudes of your husband, your wife or your children or your parents deprive you of the joy of this gracious season. Will you let the present situation in your life separate you from the presence of the child Jesus.
Why not make you soul available for the child Jesus to reign in your life. Why not let the peace of his presence dwell in your heart? Why not let the joy of his presence dwell in the manger of your soul? Why not let his love propel you to love even those that you find very difficult to forgive? Why not let the child Jesus to reign in that little manger of your soul to night and always. Remember, the scripture says that the newborn child dwells in the little manger in a little town of Bethlehem, which means “the house of Bread”. That means that the child Jesus dwells also in the little tiny Bread of Life. That is, the Eucharist. So, the Lord Jesus present in the Eucharist wants to feed us with his heavenly glory and love. He wants to dwell in the little manger of our souls so as to nourish our souls and exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity. Why not open up your heart to receive the child Jesus present in the Eucharist which are going to be consecrated in few moments to night. Why not let the child Jesus in the Holy Eucharist reign in the little manger of your soul. Do not let anything deprive you of his presence to night.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we open the little manger of our souls for you to dwell in, may you reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our societies, in our country and in the whole world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Marry Christmas to you all
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