“You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All” – Fr. Bob’s Christmas Homily

There was a pop song put out a few years ago, with the title “You say it best when you say nothing at all”. The song is a love song from the man to the woman in his life, describing the different ways she communicates her love to him without needing to say a word. He picks up on all the unspoken signals of her love she is putting out. Myself, I have always thought that this title would make an excellent caption for all the events we are celebrating at this time. God is demonstrating his great love for us without needing to say anything, or hardly anything, at all.

This afternoon, during the 4.30 pm Masses, we had our Christmas pageant. My gosh, we had dozens of shepherds, wise men, sheep, cattle , as well as the familiar figures of Joseph and Mary, with her little baby, Jesus.  Each of the characters did have a few words to say for themselves, but not much. And indeed, the great tradition of the Christmas pageant, stretching back hundreds of years, would not have had any words at all, or any need to. Everybody watching those tableaux knew what was being depicted, without anybody having to explain it. Just looking at the scene as it was displayed was enough to evoke memories and feelings of heavenly joy, love, peace and warmth in the spectators. Many of those watching, way back in history, would not have any education, or not much and would not have been able to read the events of the Christmas event in the Bible. And so, for them, the pageant was a “silent witness” to the wonderful, magical events being celebrated.

 Indeed, whenever I saw the manger scene in the church in the week before Christmas Eve came round, and noticed the empty crib, because the time to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child had not yet come about, I felt the emptiness of the scene. Its major character was missing at the moment. And all at once, without a single word having to be spoken, I realized the message God wanted to speak into my heart, that my life, and the lives of every single person on earth, without Jesus at the center, is empty, barren, desolate. I need Jesus at the center of my life we all need Jesus at the center of our lives, otherwise what is the point of our lives, really and truly?  Now, today, I can look at the manger scene, and Jesus is there, right at the heart of it, and now the scene appears to be exactly as it should be, full of joy, life, hope, peace, love and meaning.  Just as our lives, with Jesus at the heart, can be now full of joy, hope, peace, love and meaning. Yes, the scene says it best without saying anything at all. And when we draw near to the holy scene and gaze with awe and wonder and delight at it, and take in all the tiny, essential details of it, our hearts and our lives are touched by the hope and promise of new beginnings for our world and ourselves that it silently conveys. It is like on this cold day, the manger scene is putting out a bonfire of warmth and peace and joy that our cold hands and anxious hearts can stretch out towards and feel the magic of it and the hope of it. (like a wedding) Again, it says it best when it says nothing at all.

Again, look at Joseph, and Mary, the wise men and the shepherds. In the gospels, they say nothing, or nearly nothing. And yet what an impact their “silent witness” achieves. Especially consider Joseph. He literally speaks not a word in the whole of the gospel. In fact, he is gone before Jesus emerges on the scene as a young man. He hasn’t abandoned the Mary and Jesus. He has completed God’s task of protecting them  both, till Jesus was all grown up and ready to leave the nest and begin his ministry, so now Joseph can die and go to rest in his heavenly home  Without opening his lips to speak a single syllable, Joseph is telling us that we all have a precious task to perform for God while we are on this earth,  to protect  and defend the life of the Christ-child in our hearts and in our world today, especially when many are angered or indifferent or ignorant of why Jesus is so important for the entire world, whether that world knows or understands it at all. 

When people come to our homes, and see the manger scene erected there, or notice the crosses or little statues or other Christian symbols around. Or when we are at work or shopping, or exercising, or whatever, and  we are displaying, unostentatiously, but really, a crucifix or other medal around our neck, or making the sign of the cross as we pass a church, or quietly praying the rosary or the Divine Mercy chaplet, others  take these things in, they may or may not ask questions, but we have given our “silent witness” to our faith in Jesus  without saying a word. When I was looking to buy a house for myself some years back, using the legacy from my parents, I was initially attracted by the look of a small bungalow in my area. But what really sold it to me was when I entered the house for the first time, and saw palm crosses on the walls, and I knew that the house was owned by faithful Catholics, even though I had never met them, and I could feel the atmosphere of peace and quiet faith there. The house spoke to me without saying anything at all, and so I bought it. 

And all the images of Jesus and Mary, and of other saints that we see in churches, or people’s homes, including little shrines outside their homes, in the garden, or elsewhere, all convey a simple but meaningful witness in our increasingly atheistic or agnostic world. Christ is not dead, he is alive. And he lives on in so many ways, but especially in the hearts and lives of the millions of Christians who still bear him close to their hearts. As we continue to bear our witness to our faith in Jesus, we keep the promise and hope of salvation for the world alive. For those of us, who are rather shy, and feel they really don’t know enough of their faith to share it in words, don’t be afraid, brothers and sisters.

You will often say it best, when you say nothing at all.