The current covid rules mean that today’s homily is supposed to be brief.
Let me just look briefly then at the Collect for today’s Mass, so familiar to us as the Collect that concludes the prayer of the Angelus.
“Pour forth we beseech you O Lord your grace into our hearts.” That is: especially over the coming holy days, we ask for, and expect, a new grace. Such a “pouring forth” of grace evokes the image in the prophet Isaiah we hear so frequently in Advent - we had it for our Introit today - Rorate caeli desuper - drop down rain from above, you heavens. Pour forth grace from above, then, O God. That is, by your active power, by your communicated love and mercy and goodness, by your indwelling divine presence, enlighten our hearts anew, warm them anew, transform them anew, so that we understand anew, so that we are touched anew, so that we respond anew, so that we are filled with grace anew, so that we are conformed anew to Jesus Christ our Lord. Let the earth be opened, and bring forth a Saviour, sang the Prophet. That is, let Christ be born anew in us. We ask this, and we expect it, because with the whole Church, with the liturgy, in a very privileged way these days we are to live through the mystery of Christmas, the mystery of the birth of Jesus. As we do that we enter this mystery, and it enters us, always anew; always with fresh and transforming power.
The Collect speaks of Christ’s Incarnation being made known through the Angel. That is: by supernatural revelation we know who this baby is. He is God made man. He is utterly unique in human history. In fact he is the centre and focus of all human history. He is the promised Messiah, the Son of David, the King of Israel, the fulfilment of prophecy, and of the divine plan of salvation, known by God from all eternity, but enacted now in time. So we have certainty that this child has power to save us from our sins, to unite us to God the Father, to give us eternal life.
Please just note God’s active work in all this. We deserve nothing; and in the first place we do nothing. God by his own free initiative acts in Christ. God in Christ comes down to us, in order to lift us up to himself. He did it then, and he still does so now. So when we ask for outpoured grace, we are asking for that same power that worked in the Blessed Virgin to work also in us, in the Church, in the world, in our day. That is asking for a big miracle; but it’s precisely what God wants to give us, and will give us.
Please note also that our Collect doesn’t stop at Christmas. It carries on to Good Friday and Easter day. Jesus was born in order to be able to die. And he died in order to be able to rise from the dead. By grace he was born for us, by grace he died for us, by grace he rose again for us. Ever pouring forth this same grace, he ever renews his whole mystery in us. By grace also, and the power of the Holy Spirit, he renews his whole mystery in every holy Mass. In the Blessed Sacrament we have made present among us Christ’s true Body, born of Mary. Through the Mass also we offer to the Father the atoning sacrifice of Christ’s saving death. Through holy communion we participate in his Body, now gloriously reigning in heaven. That is a lot of grace, freely pouring forth. May we receive it with open hearts!
To leave you with one very brief little parting shot. God only became incarnate at his Mother’s free and graced consent. He came into the world, he came as our Saviour, only through her. And so he still comes to us in the same way: through his holy Mother. With the Angel then we cry out to Mary, who is also our own Mother. Hail Mary! Pray for us your children this Christmas. Help us to enter into the Christmas mystery once again this year. Help us to receive God’s grace as you did. Help us to receive Christ the Lord as you did. Help us, after your own example, to rejoice in him, to love him, to worship him, to be united with him, according to his holy will: both now and forever. Amen.