Christmas Mass During the Night 2020
Readings: Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14
Abbot Lawrence – St. Gregory’s Abbey
The Year of Our Lord 2020 is drawing to a close. Some might add “Thanks be to God!” It was a year of many jarring headlines and unprecedented events. Unfortunately, all to many of those headlines announced bad news – from natural disasters aggravated by a changing climate, to the worldwide spread of a new, highly infectious and deadly virus, to social strife and even political events and unfounded claims that threaten to undermine the functioning of our democratic republic. But there were also some very positive stories and even reason for a collective sense of wonder. One of these occurred this week. It was the conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn: a natural phenomenon that was dubbed by many as the Christmas Star.
This 2020 conjunction was historic. The two planets had not aligned this closely from our earthly point of view for some 397 years, and this close a conjunction will not occur again until 2080 and then again in 2417. Those, however, will not coincide with the week when we celebrate Christmas. It has been nice to have something positive to talk about, look forward to, and share with the global community. It was also nice that this event was referred to frequently as the Christmas Star or Star of Bethlehem, since it is one of the explanations offered for what the Magi saw and followed to find the newborn “King of the Jews” in Bethlehem. Even highly secular media referred to it as the Christmas Star.
And so, in a small but real way, the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at the end of the difficult and often dark year of 2020 brought to mind the true meaning of Christmas. It reminded even a secular world that the meaning of Christmas is not to be found in year-end sales, twinkling decorations, gift giving or even gathering with “faithful friends who are dear to us” who this year are not able to “gather near to us once more.” This year, an infrequent alignment of planets has reminded the world that Christmas is about the miraculous birth of the long-awaited Messiah to a poor couple, in a stable for animals in a small an seemingly insignificant place. This year, the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn has reminded the world that Christmas celebrates not an astronomical light no matter how spectacular, but rather the true light that comes from God to give light to those who walk in darkness and dwell in the shadow of death.
This is a message that one no longer needs to wait for decades, centuries or millennia to hear and to experience again: “For a child is born to us, a son is given us;/ upon his shoulder dominion rests.// They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,/ Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.// His dominion is vast/ and forever peaceful.” We also need not envy those shepherds who were tending their flocks when suddenly the “angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them” when they were the first to hear the good news: “a Savior has been born to you who is Christ and Lord.” We need not envy them because we also, in our own time and in our own particular setting, have heard the same message: “a Savior has been born to you.” Like those shepherds, we also have recognized in the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger the long-desired “Wonder Counselor, God-Hero and Prince of Peace.” Or, as the Letter to Titus puts it so beautifully: the “grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.” This is what we celebrate tonight, as we gather to give glory to God in the highest.
But with this great gift comes also a great responsibility. Along with the joy of this holy night, we also are given the responsibility, the command really, to share this good news of the salvation of our God to others – to a world that all too much still dwells in darkness and the shadow of death. This is what the shepherds did after they found the child and his mother, and it is what we also must do. God has trained us “to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age” not just for our own benefit, but also so that others might come to see in Jesus Christ the true light of this world and pathway to salvation.
Like so many others, I eagerly followed the progress of Jupiter and Saturn as their orbits began to line-up. After sunset last Sunday and Monday evening, as darkness fell I eagerly went out to see this beautiful and once-in-a-lifetime event. It was lovely, and I could even see it through the distraction of the busy lights of earth. But also like so many others, I would have had no clue that the special event was going to happen had it not been for the hard work of astronomers and the barrage of news stories that aired to make me aware of it. I would have gone about my usual business and would have missed out on the extraordinary high note that brightened the end of a rather difficult and dark year.
In just the same way, and with far greater consequences, those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, who are weighed down by “godless ways and worldly desires,” will not come to know the light of Jesus Christ and the message of salvation unless they are told. Like astronomers and news reporters alerting others to make the effort to enjoy the beauty and wonder great Conjunction of 2020, we who know Jesus Christ to be the Messiah, Prince of Peace and Light of the World must alert others as to what we know. If the “yokes that burden” them, the “poles on their shoulders,” and the “rods of their taskmasters” are to be smashed, then we must do our part to let the light of Jesus Christ shine through anything that would try to obscure it. Through him fear will be cast aside, and there will be “peace on earth for those on whom God’s favor rests.”