Readings:Is. 62:1-5; Ps 89, Act. 13:16-17.22-25; Matt. 1:1-25
Rev.
Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
LET
THE CHILD JESUS BE BORN IN THE LITTLE MANGER
OF OUR SOULS
Tonight 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. Tonight Jesus is coming to dwell
with us for an exchange, he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our
sinful humanity. Tonight 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. Tonight God is unveiling his
Word which became Flesh in the womb of Mary in order to dwell with us. Tonight the Lord will manifest
himself in a little manger in Bethlehem of our souls.
Little wonder in Gospel
passage tonight, 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, and new generations continued to spring up
as God continued 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 of 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 tonight 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 for us one of David’s descendants, the
child Jesus, whose coming we wait for tonight. For we heard the Lord in our
first reading tonight 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, tonight 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 lies the child Jesus, no crib
for a bed, but, the little Jesus laid down his sweet head on a little manger of the 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 in the highest place,
now lay helpless in a manger. The One who we 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 constrained by time in a manner.
This little manger was a
great symbol and sign. 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 tonight Are: where is the little manager?
How can we locate the little manger of Jesus? How prepared is this little manager? Can we say that the little manger is available for the child Jesus to
be born?
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 manager is right beside us. I know that those who are good with the scripture will tell me that the manager is located in a little town in Bethlehem. Yes, there was a little manger
in Bethlehem, and there is a little manger beside us here so beautiful and
captivating. But the true little manger is not just in Bethlehem, or the symbol
of what we have here, rather the true little manger is my soul, the dwelling place
of God, which is located in the innermost chamber of my being.
This little manger of my
soul is what the child Jesus is searching for to dwell in tonight. He is
searching for a humble soul, he is searching for a peaceful soul. The child
Jesus is searching for a lovely soul, he is searching for the 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? Are we
ready and prepared to welcome the child Jesus in our little manger? Are you
going to allow him to dwell with us? Are we going to offer him joyful praise
and worship just like the shepherds? Are we going to let him exchange our sinful
humanity with his divinity?
What is stopping us from
welcoming Jesus into the inner manger of our souls? Will you let bitterness and
anger occupy 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 into the 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 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 your 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 reign in that little manger
of your soul tonight and always? Remember, the scripture says that the Newborn
child dwells in the little manger in the 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 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 is going to be consecrated in a few
moments tonight? 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 tonight.
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