Homily for Christmas Day

In Jesus, God Became A Baby

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for Christmas Day

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Thursday, December 25, 2025

I believe there is something undeniably captivating, attractive, and charming about a baby. If you bring a baby into a room full of people, everything changes. For a moment, the baby’s arrival interrupts the conversation. If someone in the room is talking too much and those around are trying to stop them, the baby in the room will do the magic. If someone injects a divisive, controversial topic into the crowd, and the rest of the people are looking for a way to change the conversation, the introduction of the baby will do it. A baby in the room will brighten and soften faces, elicit smiles, and cause people to reach out instinctively to the baby. Even the most hardened or distracted person finds himself drawn in. Babies have a quiet power: they bring peace, awaken tenderness, and draw people together simply by being present. A little child brings out the best in us and calls forth love from us. No matter how busy a mom or a dad is in the house, the moment they hear a distressing cry from their baby, they will abandon everything and run toward the baby. And this goes for every adult. I have brothers and sisters with young children. Whenever I am in Nigeria with them and realize they are playing outside, my protective instinct kicks in. I find myself drawn to them as I watch them, wanting to ensure they do not injure themselves in the course of running around and playing.

I am sure those who gathered around the manger when the Baby Jesus was born did what we still do today: they were drawn to the baby; they smiled with affection, gently touched him, and spoke about how cute he looked. And without realizing it, they were drawn closer not only to the child but to one another. Why am I talking about a baby? The central message of Christmas, and of Christianity, is that God became a baby. The Creator of the universe, the source of all that exists, the reason there is something rather than nothing, the omniscient and omnipotent God, became an infant too weak even to raise his head. 

This divine child is placed on our laps on this Christmas Day. Imagine this baby being brought into your family this Christmas, and you are able to look into his face and smile at him. This is what Christmas is about. But why would God do this? In our first reading (Hebrews 1:1-6), we hear, “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son…” The human quest for God is found in other religions and philosophies, particularly in the Old Testament. A good example is the Psalmist praying, “As a deer yearns for running streams, so my soul is longing for you, my God.” It is part of our spiritual experience to long for God. But biblical religion is not primarily about our quest for God. It is about God’s relentless quest for us. Don’t forget this fact: God does not need anything from the world. He created the world out of sheer love. God does not need you or me. In Himself, God is perfect. But God wants to share his life with us. This is Christianity! This is why God became a baby. 

“In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets…” God called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. He called Samuel, David, and Solomon. He called Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, Micah, and other prophets. He called Miriam, Deborah, and Ruth. He called Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph. Why was God calling all these people? God wanted to use them to form a people after his own heart. God also gave laws and commandments. I know this is the spot that gets people all riled up. They say religion is bad because it hinders human freedom through laws. They say God is making arbitrary and oppressive demands upon us. That is not true. God’s commandments are meant to lift us up, not complicate life. There is nothing in the commandments of God that is oppressive, repressive, or suppressive. The law of God is meant to shape us toward happiness and joy. A good coach will undoubtedly equip his players well, including the rules of the game. God also gave us prophets to arouse our interest in the divine life.

Were the prophets sometimes harsh? You bet! They were calling people back to obey the Torah. God’s people were stubborn, so the prophets used rebuking language. When I lived with my grandmother, I used to accuse her of talking too much. But she would always tell me, “Wherever there is an elder who is talking too much, there is a child who is disobeying too much.” And she was right. She would give me chores, but I would prefer to play soccer first. God gave his people the Torah not because God is difficult, but because God is passionate about setting things right. All you parents listening to me, have you ever raised your voice at your children? If you haven’t, it is either that you gave birth to angels or you are failing in your sacred duty as parents. If your child walks on the wrong path, you raise your voice and speak out. So, God, through the prophets, raises his voice. That is not God being abusive. It is God running toward us. He wants to stop a trainwreck before it happens. 

Now, despite all these divine efforts, we tend not to respond. Despite choosing the patriarchs, giving us laws, sending prophets, and coming after us, we tended to run in the opposite direction. We tended to disobey and break the commandments and the covenants. We tended to stone and kill the prophets. God tried multiple times to reach us, but we ran away. But in the fullness of time, God spoke to us through the Son, and the Son entered the world as a baby. Why? Because it is more challenging to resist a baby. Who can resist a baby? This baby is God. This baby is placed on your lap today. As we look at the baby's face, we see the very face of God. God tried patriarchs and kings. God gave us laws, rituals, and commandments. And they are all good. But at the end of the day, God decided to come as a baby, because babies are irresistible. As you celebrate Christmas, remember it is all about Him. It is all about Jesus Christ. Christmas with Christ is a waste of time and resources. If you look at our Christmas manger, you will notice that all the animals and human figures are looking in the same direction. They are looking at the baby, signifying that the season of Christmas is about Jesus Christ. It is all about Him.  

Merry Christmas!