ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ CALLS ON FAITHFUL TO RENEW LOVE FOR JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS
December 24, 2024  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated Christmas Eve Mass tonight at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles reminding the faithful to trust in Jesus and called them to renew their love for Jesus and desire to follow his path. Full text of homily, as it was prepared, is below.

“With Mary and Joseph, tonight we welcome the living God into our world. Into our homes and into our hearts,” said Archbishop Gomez. “Tonight, a new song can be heard throughout all the earth, a song of blessing and praise! The heavens are glad, and the earth rejoices, all creation is singing this new song.”

Archbishop Gomez reiterated that with the birth of Jesus, our creator has come to save each one of us with no exceptions highlighting that He is our light and the way out of darkness.

“My brothers and sisters, Jesus is real! Jesus is alive! The truth of his coming is rooted in history. And the reality of his salvation continues in history. His saving grace unfolds now in your life and mine,” said the Archbishop. “God loves you so much, God loves the world so much, that he sent his only Son into this world to be our Savior. We should let that truth burn in our hearts tonight, and long after this night.”

As Archbishop concluded the homily, he called on the faithful to trust completely in the Lord and give their hearts to Him.  

“So, my brothers and sisters, tonight, in the presence of this holy Child, let us renew our love for Jesus and our desire to follow his path for our life!” said Archbishop Gomez. “Let’s take the Lord’s hand once again, let’s give him our hearts, and let’s follow him! Jesus can set you free from your sins, your weaknesses, from whatever it is that holds you back, that keeps you from walking with him, that keeps you from following his way for your life.

Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself, celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since December 1, the beginning of the Advent season, local Catholics have joined Catholics all around the world in a time of preparation that directs their hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. Full text of Archbishop Gomez’ Christmas homily follows.

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Homily — Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)[1]

Most Reverend José H. Gomez

Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

December 25, 2024

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

On this holy night of joy, truly the whole world rejoices!

Tonight, we join our brothers and sisters from, every land and every nation, to the ends of the earth.

Together, we turn our eyes to the City of David, to the “Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

With Mary and Joseph, tonight we welcome the living God into our world. Into our homes and into our hearts.

Tonight, a new song can be heard throughout all the earth, a song of blessing and praise! The heavens are glad, and the earth rejoices, all creation is singing this new song.

“For a Child is born to us, a Son is given us,” the prophet tells us tonight.

In this Child, a Light now shines in our world. No longer do we have to walk in darkness. This Light has come to show us the way out of the land of gloom.

St. Paul tells us tonight that this Child has come to give himself for us, to redeem us from our sins, and deliver us from death. This Child has come to make us a people who belong to him alone.

“The grace of God has appeared, saving all,” he says.

These are such marvelous words! “Saving all!” Our Creator has come to save us. All of us. Without exception.

On the first Christmas, as heard tonight, the Lord’s angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields.

And the angel told them: “For today in the city of David, a Savior has been born for you.”

These words resound down through history. When we hear this story tonight, we know that the angel is speaking those words to us.

My brothers and sisters: tonight, a Savior has been born for you and for me. This is what this holy night is all about.

This is no fairy tale that we hear tonight. The story of Jesus does not begin, “Once upon a time.”

The story begins, as we heard, at a specific moment in history. The moment when Augustus was the emperor in Rome and Quirinius was the governor in Syria.

And this story happens in a specific place, in a town called Bethlehem. And this story unfolds in the lives of real people, a man called Joseph, and his wife, Mary, who lived in a place called Nazareth.

“For today in the city of David, a Savior has been born for you.”

My brothers and sisters, Jesus is real! Jesus is alive! The truth of his coming is rooted in history. And the reality of his salvation continues in history. His saving grace unfolds now in your life and mine.

God loves you so much, God loves the world so much, that he sent his only Son into this world to be our Savior.

We should let that truth burn in our hearts tonight, and long after this night.

Jesus became the Child of Mary so that you and I could become children of God. He came to share in our humanity so that we could share in his divinity. Jesus came down to earth to show us the way to heaven.

Christmas reveals the truth about our lives. And the truth is this: We are born to become like Jesus, every one of us! We are born to share in his divine nature. In this Child, we find the way to true happiness. 

God wants us to do beautiful things with our life. He wants our life to be filled with joy and love, in our homes and in our families, and in our life in the world!

God really wants all of these great things for us, and he will give us the grace and the strength we need. This is the meaning of Christmas.

So, my brothers and sisters, tonight, in the presence of this holy Child, let us renew our love for Jesus and our desire to follow his path for our life!

Let’s take the Lord’s hand once again, let’s give him our hearts, and let’s follow him!

Jesus can set you free from your sins, your weaknesses, from whatever it is that holds you back, that keeps you from walking with him, that keeps you from following his way for your life.

So, give your heart to him again. Trust in his love for you!

Tonight, a Savior is born for us. Let us praise God with all the earth!

And on this holy night, let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us to open our hearts again, that we might welcome the beautiful gift of her Son, and allow him to change our lives forever! 

Merry Christmas to you all!

[1] Readings (Mass During the Night): Isa. 9:1–6; Ps. 96:1–3, 11–13; Tit. 2:11–14; Luke 2:1–14.