Christmas 2022
Father Ben Riley
It’s my first time preaching a Christmas Mass here at Mary Mother of God. And as I was preparing for this Mass, I knew that there would be a larger crowd than normal. So, I’ve been feeling some pressure these last few weeks. What should I preach about? I thought about it and thought about it, and the more I thought, the more I came to realize that no matter how badly I want to, I can’t fit all of salvation history into an 8-minute homily. So, I’ve decided to give a 20-minute homily. I’m kidding, just kidding, don’t worry. In fact, I’ve decided to simplify things, and preach about only one topic. I dare say, it is the most important topic in all of Christianity. But before I get to it, I would like to ask you a question. A serious question. “Do you believe in miracles?”
Now, in a Church of faithful Catholics, this question might seem rhetorical. Of course we believe in miracles, that’s why we’re here. But I’m not just talking about the supernatural work of God. While it’s true that most people view miracles as incredible, extraordinary, and spectacular occurrences, I’m here to tell you that they are much more than that, and they happen more often than you think. To express my point, I’d like to share with you a few of the miracles that I have experienced. The most obvious happened in 2015 when my brother seminarians and I had the opportunity visit Philadelphia and attend a Papal Mass. Pope Francis visited Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, and he gave two talks about the importance of teaching and practicing the faith in the home. On the last day of his visit, Pope Francis celebrated a Papal Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The parkway is huge, and there were over a million people at this Mass. The problem was, because there were so many people, you had to have a ticket to pass through security and actually enter the parkway for Mass. Everyone else was supposed to watch the Mass from gigantic televisions that were set up all over the city.
The problem was, I didn’t have a ticket. Of the seven seminarians that went to Philadelphia, I think only two or three actually had a ticket for the Mass. So, the rest of us were watching the Mass on one of these big jumbotrons. And then something stirred in my soul. I don’t know how to describe it, but I just knew I had to try and get into this Mass. So, I walked over to a police officer and asked him, “Sir, I don’t have a ticket to attend the Mass, but I would really like to try and get in. Do you know where I should go to have the best chance of getting in?” He told me, to not go to the first security checkpoint, because there would be a bunch of people there with the same idea that I had. He suggested that I go to the last security checkpoint and see if I could get in there. The last security checkpoint was over a mile away from where I was, so I started running, I mean sprinting through the streets of Philadelphia. The entire city was shut down for the papal visit so there weren’t any cars on the road, and every couple of blocks there was one of these giant televisions broadcasting the Mass. So I could hear the Mass as I was running. I heard the first reading, the responsorial Psalm, the second reading, and then just as I was approaching the last security checkpoint, the Gospel Acclamation began. I went up to the police officer and said “Sir, I don’t have a ticket for the Mass, but is there any way you can let me in?” And he said “Yes! We were told to stop taking tickets after the Gospel started.” This, was miracle #1.
So I walked through the security checkpoint. The actual sanctuary was still like 1/4 mile away. I could see the Pope way off in the distance, but there were 10’s of thousands of people between me and the sanctuary, so, I just accepted that I would have to watch the Mass on one of these big televisions. At least now I was closer to the action. Then, I turned to my left and out of the corner of my eye I saw three of my brother seminarians, friends of mine, that did have tickets to attend the Mass. So out of a crowd of over a million people I found three of my friends. Miracle number two.
So the Mass continued and it was almost time for communion. And I thought to myself there is no way they have a million hosts for everyone to receive communion. So, I accepted that I would not receive communion, and I would have to be okay with participating in the Mass through prayer. Then I saw something amazing, 5000 priests and deacons walking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway each holding a ciborium with 200 hosts. So do the math. 5000 priests and deacons, times 200 hosts; there actually were a million hosts, so everyone could receive communion. This was miracle #3.
Finally, out of these 5000 priests and deacons I saw my rector from the House of Formation, Father Ruben, walking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway holding a ciborium. I turned to my friends, and we all said that we had to try and receive communion from Father Ruben. So again, I start running and eventually we do catch up with him and are able to receive the body of our Lord truly present in the Eucharist from our rector Father Ruben. This was miracle #4.
Now, You might notice something about these four miracles. Getting into that Papal Mass, finding my brother seminarians in such a big crowd, a million people being able to receive communion, and receiving communion from Father Ruben. None of these things would fall under the usual description of a miracle, something supernatural, that defies the laws of physics. I didn’t experience a healing, or apparition. This wasn’t the uncorrupted body of a saint, or a bleeding host. But I still call these miracles, because if a miracle is the supernatural work of God, is not all of God’s work a miracle?
So, I ask you again, “Do you believe in miracles?” Do you believe that God is working in every aspect of your life: guiding you, protecting you, and bringing you closer to Himself? Do you believe, not only in the big miracles, but also in the subtle turnings of the Holy Spirit?
I promised you the most important teaching in all of Christianity. It’s not some deep theological point, it’s really quite simple. But it has the power to change every aspect of who you are, and how you live. Are you ready? Here it is. God loves you. God loves you more than you could possibly know. In our society and culture, it may not seem that way. There’s so much pain and suffering in our world, and we have experienced so much heartache this past year. Our culture and society at large is going off the rails. There is no nice way to say it. We are living in a time of absurdity. In a time when reason, morals, and truth have little to no bearing at all. We are plagued by division, and there is so much anger. But even in the face of all this adversity, that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. Don’t believe the lies of our culture, because today, we celebrate a miracle.
Do you believe in miracles?
God loves you so much, that the infinite, omniscient, eternal, all powerful creator of the universe became man, and was born a helpless infant, to a couple of poor refugees. He did this for only one purpose: To save you. By becoming man, God revealed himself to us, no longer through a prophet, but directly. He became man, so that you could have a personal, loving, and intimate relationship with Him. And by his sacrifice on the cross, He made possible the salvation of you, me, your family, and every person that has, is now, or will ever live.
Do you believe in miracles?
It is a miracle that you are sitting here today. It is a miracle that God has touched your life in such a way that you desire to worship him. It is a miracle that in just a few moments we will witness with our very eyes, and hear with our very ears that Jesus Christ himself becomes truly present in the Eucharist. Not as a symbol or a spiritual being, but actually physically present.
Do you believe in miracles?
It is a miracle that all of our sacrifices will be offered on this altar along with the bread and the wine, all of your joy, all of your sorrow, all of your grief, fear, anxiety, all the pain and heartache of the last year, place it on the altar. Entrust it to God.
Do you believe in miracles?
The Eucharist is not a reward for the holy, it is a medicine for the sick. Receive Him. Receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord, and be healed.
Believe in miracles, Merry Christmas, and my God bless you and your family.