Christmas is not soft. It is not sentimental. It is a declaration of war.
In this homily from Fr. Dom, he confronts the manger and exposes what most men have been taught to ignore. The Incarnation is not a cozy scene meant for nostalgia. It is God entering enemy territory. It is Christ coming to do battle for your soul.
Too many men walk past the manger without stopping. We have seen it too many times. We have grown numb. But the Church places the manger front and center for a reason. If you truly see it, it should cut you to the heart and force a response.
In this episode, Fr. Dom shares a true story from his first Christmas as a priest. A blind woman approaches the manger, searching not with her eyes, but with her hands. When she finds the Infant Jesus, she understands what many men miss entirely: those tiny hands and feet were born to be pierced. Born for sacrifice. Born for war.
That moment exposes a hard truth. Faith is not passive. Seeing Christ demands action.
We walk straight from the wood of the manger to the wood of the Cross, and then to the altar. The same Christ who lay in the hay now gives you His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. That reality changes everything, or it should.
This episode forces a question that every Catholic man must answer honestly:
Has Christmas actually changed you?
If the Incarnation does not move you to conversion, you are missing the point. If the manger does not stir you to fight sin, lead your family, and reject the lies of the world, then you are standing still while darkness advances.
Jesus did not come to make you comfortable. He came to claim you. He came to fill you with courage, peace, and resolve. And then He sends you back into the world carrying His light.
Christmas is merry because Christ has already entered the fight and won. But you still have a role to play.
This episode is not meant to be admired. It is meant to be lived.
Push play. Let the manger break your heart. Then take Christ into battle.
Referenced in This Episode
- The Nativity and the manger
- The Cross
- The Eucharist
- The Holy Family
- The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Powerful Quotes from the Episode
- “Blessed are these little hands and feet that will be pierced for our transgressions.”
- “She was blind, but she could see. I could see, but I was the blind one.”
- “That infant in the manger may look weak, but that is a warrior.”
Key Takeaway for Men
Stop treating Christmas like a memory and start treating it like a mission. Kneel before the manger or the Eucharist today and give Christ permission to change you. Then lead. Fight sin. Bring light into your home. If Christmas does not lead to conversion, it has been wasted.