CHRISTMAS DAY 2025 YEAR A
CHRISTMAS IS NOT A.I.
LK 2: 1-14
MESSAGE
Today, we can create situations that do not exist in reality. We can form human-like figures that resemble real people but are merely phantoms. We can paint beautiful images, mosaics, murals, or even greeting cards that are all born purely from digital imagination. Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
But imagine: What if the Child born in Bethlehem were only a robotic mirage? What if Mary’s giving birth were just an illusion or her hallucination? What if the bright star in the Bethlehem sky were only a drone passing by, and the angels nothing more than a light show crafted by a creative Jewish crew? What if everything we commemorate tonight, the events from over 2,000 years ago, were all products of an ancient but advanced AI?
AI can replicate images. It can create human-like figures. It can write moving narratives. It can conjure entire worlds from nothing but algorithms and creative prompts. Yet there is one thing AI can never do: it cannot create a beating heart overflowing with love; it cannot transform lives with the power of peace and the dynamism of joy. AI cannot produce Christmas in Bethlehem, because Christmas is pure love, love of the highest order. Imagination (human creativity) pales in comparison with the Incarnation (divine affectivity).
God was not playing games with us when He gave us Christmas. He truly loved us, each one of us and the whole world, that He sent Jesus, His Only Begotten Son to be our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord… and our Brother. Nothing compares to the genuine love that flows from the manger tonight.
REFLECT
It is Christmas, my dear friend. Stop doubting God’s love for you. He knows you—your struggles, your burdens, your hidden pains. He sees you not only when you stand in the light, but also when you hide in the shadows. And in spite of everything, He loves you. Not virtually, but truly. Let the Child Jesus, born in Bethlehem, touch your heart today. In return, renew your trust in His love. Merry Christmas!
(Kilalanin si St. Sharbel ngayong Christmas season… https://familyofsaintsharbel-philippines.org/index.html )
