Nochebuena / Christmas Eve 2016

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(John August Swanson)
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Saints, Oxnard
(Isaías 9:2–7 (= 9:1–6 dhh); Lucas 2:1–14, (15–20))

Unto us a son is born. ¡A nosotros esta nacido un hijo! What a joyous feeling, to welcome this child. Qué cosa más asombrosa, dar la bienvenida a un hijo o hija.
En su mensaje de Navidad, el obispo primado Michael Curry habló de la venida de su hija. El mencionó que antes de su llegada, su esposa y el pudieran salir cuando quisieran, gastar un poco de dinero según lo razonable, y cuando ella vino, todo su mundo cambió. Ya cada decisión tenía que estar hecho de acuerdo con sus necesidades de ella.
In his Christmas message, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry talked about how the arrival of a child changes things. Before he had his daughter, his wife and he could make plans spontaneously. They could go out when they wanted and even had a bit of spending money, within reason. When their baby girl arrived, everything changed as they adjusted their schedules and lives to meet her needs first.
Mary and Joseph may not have felt quite ready for their baby’s arrival, that night. Their first-born, they had no idea what to expect, really. And now they had an errand to run and I am sure they were hoping that the baby would wait until they were home to be born.
Seguramente hubiera sido más fácil si este bebe hubiera sido nacido en casa, en su pueblo, con toda su gente. No tenían allí cerca las madrinas y padrinos y familiares que los pudieran ayudar. Estaban extranjeros en Belén, y cuando llegaron al pesebre, después de un viaje agotador, probablemente María estaba orando para no tener este bebe en ese lugar tan extraño, aunque históricamente su familia de José pertenecía allí.
But the baby didn’t wait. He changed their lives, right then and there.
Ese bebe no esperaba. El cambió sus vidas, allí en ese momento y en adelante.
And he didn’t just change Mary and Joseph’s lives, but he changed our lives, too.
El cambió no solo las vidas de María y José pero también las vidas de todos nosotros.
Because, as Fr. Thomas Rosica puts it, “Through the wonder and mystery of the Incarnation, the Word did not become a philosophy, a theory, or a concept to be discussed, debated, exegeted or pondered. But the Word became a person to be followed, enjoyed and loved!”[1]
Dios vino al mundo, y él no se convirtió en una filosofía, ni una teoría, pero se convirtió en una persona. Él se hizo carne, una persona complicada, para estar seguido y amado.
And anyone who knows a child in your life, be it yours or another’s, you will know that everyone comes with their own personalities. Every child brings delight and also frustrations. I am sure that Jesus drove his parents nuts at times as well as being the joy of their hearts.
Jesús, como cualquier niño, vino con su propia personalidad. Probablemente él irritaba a sus papas de vez en cuando y luego los hizo sonreír con orgullo.
And those of us who follow him know that he is not an easy one to follow either. Some of his words are confusing at times or challenging. At times we all get annoyed with Jesus, even though his teachings have filled our lives with joy and meaning.
Los que siguen a Jesús también sienten que él no es siempre fácil de seguir. Algunos de sus dichos son difíciles de seguir o nos confunden. A veces hasta quedamos frustrados con Jesús, aunque también en el encontramos un gozo y un entendimiento de vida que no hay en ninguna otra persona.
This child changes things. Jesus changes things. And he changes us.
Este niño cambia a todo. Jesús cambia a todo. Y él nos cambia a nosotros, también.
Porque justo como Dios no entró una idea, pero como una persona, complicada, amable, y a veces frustrante, también Dios obra en y por nosotros, humanos imperfectos, para hacer su voluntad.[2] Hacemos su voluntad cuando vivimos lo que él nos muestra.
Jesus came as flesh and blood, as an amazing, complicated, frustrating person. A lovable person. And he works in and through us, imperfect human beings, to do his will. God uses flesh and blood, like you and me, to make a difference in this world.
And what a relief. Because, as Fr. Rosica says, “If the future were not the promise of Jesus Christ but the predictable outcome of present sociological trends, despair would overwhelm us….”[3]
Es un alivio saber que el obra por nosotros. Que tenemos esperanza en Jesucristo. Porque con toda la oscuridad en nuestro mundo, no pudiéramos vivir sin la promesa de su salvación. Esta fe, esta esperanza es el regalo que abrimos cada año y realmente cada día, sabiendo que él nos trae la salvación.
This world may seem grim at times, but let the Christmas light tonight remind us that a child is born. A child who changes everything. A child who promises us salvation, and who can use us to make this world a better place.
Amen.


[1] Fr. Thomas Rosica, “Emmanuel: God with Us,” http://saltandlighttv.org/blogfeed/getpost.php?id=60351&language=en (December 26, 2014).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.

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