Bishop Michael Smith celebrated the
Mass of the Lord’s Nativity in the Cathedral of Christ the King,
Mullingar. The Bishop welcomed all to the Mass, especially those who had travelled home to spend time with their families and friends.
In his homily, Bishop Smith reflected on the nativity accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In particular, he pointed to the genealogy of Jesus according to the two Evangelists. “While Matthew traces the origin of Jesus back to Abraham, our father in faith, Luke attributes the lineage of Adam to the infant in the manger.
“These two passages of Scripture set out the direct involvement of the Lord in human history, in the lives of all who bear the image and likeness of God. That relationship with God finds its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. He is God-with-us, God who walks with us.
Not alone is he the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He is the God of each of us, lived out in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ.
“The genealogies of Jesus include saints and sinners, reminding us that all come within the ambit of God, within the embrace of God’s family. God never abandons us even if we drift off course, even if we exclude or give little place to God in our lives. There is always space for us within the heart and love of God. The only ones that close the door are us.”