In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Today is the seventh day of the Christmas octave, as the Church celebrates for each day, eight days, Christmas day, in a beautiful octave. And this gospel today is so beautiful and reveals so many deep truths of our faith, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And above all, the gospel reminds us that Christ is the true light of the world and that He has brought the light into the world, to conquer the darkness of our lives, and that we receive this light through baptism and through our faith journey, walking with Christ. And that light fills us with His grace and His truth, grace and truth. And so beautifully, it reveals to us that we have become children of God through Christ. In our baptism, in our accepting Christ, in walking with Christ, we have become children of God, children of God.
So the gospel just reminds us of all the gifts we have received in the birth of the Christ child, that He has come to bring us His divine life, to fill us with His divine light, divine light, and to make us children of God, by which we share in God's divine life, divine life.
May we rejoice as we come also today to the end of the year, as we prepare for the new year and also the solemnity of the Mother of God. We're reminded to be renewed today in our love, our faith, our dedication to the Christ child, thanking Him for all the blessings and graces He has given to us in this past year, and asking Him for that grace to be ever more faithful and zealous in walking with Him and sharing His light in the new year.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen