Inspiration for my homilies comes from many sources, but it starts with the Holy Spirit. Before I begin, I call on the Holy Spirit for guidance. And I never cease to be amazed by where the Spirit directs me for inspiration. This Christmas, believe it or not, the Holy Spirit led me to a television show featuring the English comic character Mr. Bean. Anyone here know Mr. Bean? If you don’t, Mr. Bean, who is played by the actor Rowan Atkinson, is a grown man with the curiousity and maturity of a 7-year-old.
In one part of the episode entitled “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean”, Mr. Bean is in a department store paying for some Christmas presents when, out of the corner of his eye, he spots a large Nativity Scene the store has set up. He goes over to the Nativity Scene, and Mr. Bean being Mr. Bean, well he can’t help but start to play with the various Nativity Scene figures. Not surprisingly, utter chaos ensues. The story culminates with Mr. Bean, using a toy helicopter and an angel holding a magnet, heroically rescuing Baby Jesus from the jaws of a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex.
It’s one of my favourite Mr. Bean episodes. But when I watched it again a month ago, I noticed something I had never noticed before. Immediately I said, “Thank you Holy Spirit, here’s the inspiration for my Christmas Homily”. For as Baby Jesus was safely lifted out the stable by the helicopter and angel with the magnet, there is a brief close-up of Him. It was then that I noticed that the Baby Jesus figure had His hands and arms extended. Which got me thinking – most of the Baby Jesus figures that I have ever seen in Nativity scenes have His hands and arms extended outwards. Which got me asking, why?
My first thought was His extended hands and arms are a sign of welcome and greeting – that the new-born Prince of Peace is greeting and welcoming us. That’s a lovely and reassuring thought. But then I thought of something else - when one sees a small child standing in front of us with their arms and hands extended to us, what is it that they want? They want us to pick them up and hold them. Which made me think each Christmas the Baby Jesus wants to be held by all of us. So I ask you - will you take the time in prayer tonight or tomorrow to embrace the little child of Bethlehem? Will you hold Him close to you?
Besides the Baby Jesus’ in our 3 Nativity scenes in our church – next to me, in front of the altar and just inside the Rathburn Rd. entrance to the church – there is another image of Jesus in our church with His arms and hands extended to us. Anybody know where? That’s right - there (point to the cross on the back wall of the sanctuary). This is an image of the resurrected Christ, not the crucified Christ that you usually see in Catholic churches. I have always wondered why our cross – which in fact was installed about 10 years after the church was first opened – is the resurrected Christ.
It then occurred the reason why is based on the event our parish is named after - Nativity of Our Lord, the birth of Jesus Christ. Why was Jesus born? He (the Baby Jesus) was born for this – (point to the resurrected Jesus). The Baby Jesus whose birth we celebrate today was born to become our Saviour whose teachings and ministry would bring true meaning to our lives, and in whose saving Passion, Death and Resurrection would save us from our sins and extend to us the possibility of Eternal Life.
Look at Him up there – with His arms and hands extended out to you and me. He wants to embrace us, to protect us and to guide us. Most of all, He wants us to come to Him. This Christmas, will you come to Jesus and all that our God offers to you with our Christian faith?
All those thoughts came together by watching one silly episode of Mr. Bean. Thank you, Holy Spirit. You know, I never cease to be amazed by the ways that the Holy Spirit can lead me and you in discovering more about our faith. I also never cease to be amazed by the goodness of our God. You need proof that God is good? Well, how about that this (point at the Nativity scene) would lead to that (point at the cross). And that, my dear people, is His Christmas gift to all of us. Merry Christmas, everyone.