2024 Feast of the Holy Family – Christmas and Poverty

I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas. Last night, I tried to finish the podcast that I was listening to for a week now in YouTube. The title of the podcast is Christmas and Poverty. It is an interview with Father Robert Spitzer. He is a physicist, at the same time a priest, a theologian, and a philosopher. The name of the host is Lita Rose. The first question she asked was, Father, tell us, why would God choose to be born in poverty?

He could have been born in a more privileged setting. And Father Spitzer explained it so beautifully that I have to share it with you today. He said, God wants to tell us something important. He could have chosen a much more exalted life context, like being born in Babylon and Egypt, considered as empires during this time. Why Bethlehem? Why a poor surrounding? Why a humble setting? Because it was not about wealth, power, prestige, success, and comfort. It was really about love.

The love and compassion of God. Who wants to reach everyone, rich and poor, educated and not so educated. People who are successful and people who are struggling in their life. And then Father Robert Spitzer said, If you got everything in life and in this world, it would be hard to find God, to see God. That is why God has chosen to be born in poverty. He was brought into a family that is very pure of heart, but why a poor, poor surroundings? Because if you got everything in this world, it is hard to feel our need for God.

This is just beautiful.

~Father Francis

Reading 1, Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Reading 2, Colossians 3:12-21
Gospel, Luke 2:41-52