Christmas Midnight Mass - Christmas Miracles

 

Christmas Miracles. Deep down inside our hearts many of us want proof of God’s love for us. Yet, we really shouldn’t need proof, because we live by faith.

Did you know, there were two miracles associated with the birth of Jesus. When Mary was found with Child, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name Him, Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” But how could a virgin give birth to a child? The first miracle, occurred nine months before the birth of Jesus, happened when She conceived in a miraculous manner through the power of the Holy Spirit. At that moment, Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father, who always existed, took upon our human nature, as He came down from heaven in the Virgin Mary’s womb. What an astounding miracle. God became man in the womb of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

Then for nine months, the Virgin Mary carried the tiny infant, who grew from a fetus unto an unborn child ready to be born. When it was time for Our Lord to be born, the second miracle occurred in the little town of Bethlehem, when She gave birth to Jesus. Catholics believe the birth of Jesus was miraculous and not in the ordinary way in which women give birth. Because Mary was not subject to original sin, as a Virgin, She gave birth without any labor pains and in a miraculous manner, without the normal opening of Her womb and so Her virginal integrity was kept intact. It’s believed Jesus miraculously came forth from Mary’s womb and into Her motherly arms. It was the first time in human history, the face of God could be gazed upon by human eyes. It was the first time God could be physically touched and even held within the arms of His human creatures.

There have been miracles on Christmas in the lives of some of the saints. For example, St. Francis and St. Clare each had a miracle at Christmas Midnight Mass. Here is the true story of St. Francis of Assisi: In 1223, Francis made an unusual request to John Vellita, who was a landowner. He wished to recreate a live Nativity scene of Bethlehem for the townspeople. What better way, Francis felt, to welcome the Christ Child than to actually see, hear, and feel the harsh and poor conditions He was born into. Sentimental stories and artists' renditions were fine, but this "reenactment" would help people understand how God used the ordinary to bring about the most extraordinary happening in human history. With the permission of the local Bishop, John Vellita eagerly agreed, and soon a manger was set up in a cave on the hill, fresh hay was scattered around, and a donkey and ox were brought up to complete the scene. A simple altar was erected, beneath which lay a wax figure of the Holy Infant. Francis, who was a deacon, assisted at the Midnight Mass. Many curious townspeople, who had made the trek up the dark mountain with lit torches and faith-filled hearts, surrounded the altar and the live nativity scene, as chosen people played the parts of Joseph and Mary. As Francis spoke during Mass, emotion overtook him to the point that tears rolled down his face. The onlookers were awestruck at the love and joy and piety that engulfed the humble man at the altar.

When St. Francis was standing near the priest by the altar, at the moment when the bread totally and completely changed into the Body of Christ, as the priest said the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “This is my body, which will be given up for you”, there in the arms of St. Francis appeared the baby Jesus for all to see. The baby Jesus smiled at Francis and stroked his wet cheeks. Francis sighed deeply and was overcome with joy. From that time on people began to build small nativity scenes to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

The next miracle of Christmas occurred by St. Clare. She started a cloistered religious order of nuns, who would follow the life of St. Francis of Assisi. One Christmas night, Clare was too sick to attend Christmas Midnight Mass. All the other sisters, except Mother Clare when to the chapel to Mass.

As Mass began, suddenly in the room of St. Clare there appeared to her the Mass on the wall. She was able to see the Mass, to listen to the sisters sing Christmas hymns and heard the sermon of the priest. After Mass, when the sisters returned to Clare’s room, they wanted to console her because she was unable to attend Mass, but it was then she confided, everything she saw in her room and told them the words from the priest’s sermon. That is why today, she is the patron of television.

Once during Midnight Mass, St. Faustina had a vision of the birth of Jesus and this is what she saw, she said, “When I arrived at Midnight Mass, from the very beginning I steeped myself in deep recollection, during which time I saw the stable of Bethlehem filled with great radiance. The Blessed Virgin, all lost in the deepest of love, was wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes, but Saint Joseph was still asleep. Only after the Mother of God put Jesus in the manger did the light of God awaken Joseph, who also prayed. But after a while, I was left alone with the Infant Jesus who stretched out His little hands to me, and I understood that I was to take Him in my arms. Jesus pressed His head against my heart and gave me to know, by His profound gaze, how good He found it to be next to my heart.”

On a different occasion, St. Faustina said, “I often see the Child Jesus during Holy Mass. He is extremely beautiful. He appears to be about one year old. Once, when I saw the same Child during Mass in our chapel, I was seized with a violent desire and an irresistible longing to approach the altar and take the Child Jesus.”

Another Christmas miracle occurred in a small country parish in the United States, in 2009, during midnight Mass. During the consecration, after the priest said the words, “For this is my body, which will be given up for you.”, then when the priest raised the Host above the altar for the people to gaze upon, He suddenly felt a throbbing between His fingers embracing the Host. He thought, “Oh, I must be pressing my fingers to hard on the Host, that I feel this throbbing coming from the Host.” But then, he thought, “Wait a minute. I’m not supposed to feel the Host beating in my fingers.” After Mass, he was so puzzled by what happened, he took an unconsecrated host from a package and pressed firmly to see if he would once again feel if he could once again make the throbbing feeling occur again between his fingers. But he couldn’t. It was then, he finally realized, he had felt the beating Heart of Jesus between his fingers, and since it was Midnight Mass on Christmas, he surmised it was the beating Heart of the Infant Jesus.

On this Christmas, let us turn to the Virgin Mary and ask our Mother to increase our faith and to acknowledge God’s love for us, as can been seen by His miraculous conception and His miraculous birth as proofs, He loves us. He increases our faith in Himself through the miracles of the lives of the saints, as proof He loves us. We experience the miracle of Jesus, as Savior, who is Christ the Lord, when He forgives ours sins baptism and through the sacrament of Confession, as more proofs He loves us.

O baby Jesus, on this silent night, when You were born in a cave, on a cold winter night, and You were wrapped in swaddling clothes by Your Mother, the Virgin Mary, and then laid in a manger because there was no crib for Your head. We praise You for Your miraculous conception and miraculous birth. Help us to remember every time we come to Mass, we experience the miracle of the sacrifice of Calvary becoming present on the altar, and the miracle of bread and wine being changed into Your Body and Blood. At every Mass, we experience the miracle of we on earth, being united with the angels and saints in heaven, as we sing with the angels and saints at every Mass, “Glory to God in the Highest and peace to men of good will.” and when You come upon the altar, we gaze upon You in love and adore You, as the shepherds and wise men came to adore the newborn king. And when You come inside our Heart in Holy Communion, we experience the miracle of Your love within us, so that we can give Your love to others. We give thanks to You Lord for these and all the miracles you work in our lives, seen and unseen. Amen.