Christmas 1A – Witnesses to the Light
On this first Sunday after Christmas, we are given another look at John the Baptist, the one who came to testify to the light that has come into the world. Once again, we are reminded that his role was to witness to the light, to “the true light which enlightens everyone.” John bore witness to the one who “came to his own, and his own people did not accept him,” yet to all who did receive him was given “the power to become children of God.”
Sometimes, I think we forget that John the Baptist is not the only one called to witness to this light, to bear witness to the Word of God made flesh. Too often, we take the Christmas story—with John the Baptist, the angels, the shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and all the familiar figures—and tie it up into a neat package, wrap it with a bow, and place it back on the shelf for another year. In doing so, we risk forgetting that this is not simply a story about a distant past, disconnected from our lives today. It is a living story—one that we are called to retell and embody day after day.
We are not merely observers of this story; we are participants in it. We are living, breathing people within this narrative, and our role matters. Whether this story continues to be told—whether it is embodied and lived out in the world—depends in part on us.
Our calling is the same as John the Baptist’s: to witness to the light. To witness to the Word made flesh. To witness to God dwelling among us. We play a critical role in whether this story continues or quietly fades. Without witnesses, the story does not move forward; it ends where it is left untold.
As we continue our journey through the liturgical year now unfolding before us, it is worth remembering that we have heard this story only because others came before us—people who bore witness to the light, who lived the story, who passed it on through their faithfulness. Now that same responsibility rests with us. We are called to be witnesses so that the story may continue to live, to be told and retold for generations yet to come.
This role is not to be taken lightly. It is fundamental to the life of faith. What has been given to us, we are called to live out and to pass on—carefully, faithfully—like a lighted candle shared from one person to another, ensuring that the flame does not go out.
May we continue to understand our place within this Christian narrative, shaped by generations who have fostered, nourished, and handed on the faith through their witness to the light and to the Word made flesh. And may we keep that light burning brightly.