The First Breath of God

Homily, The First Breath of God
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 2024
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Plant City, FL

The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF

Today’s Lectionary Readings:

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

What did the first breath of Jesus sound like? Was it a quick gasp followed by a newborn’s wailing? Or did it come after a long and anxious pause, coaxed out by Joseph’s gentle hands? Could you hear his first cries in the house next door? Or was it truly a silent night?

What was it like? 

A reliquary holding a piece of the manger in which Jesus was laid, moments after his first breath. Located at the Basilica of St. Mary Majors in Rome.

Christians have pondered that moment—the moment of Jesus’ first breath—for centuries. Some have written songs about it “Away in a manger.” Some have painted it into stunning works of art. Some have searched for, collected, and preserved relics from that night: the swaddling clothes in which Jesus was wrapped or a piece of wood from the manger, and kept them in reliquaries for pilgrims to come near and venerate. Some have traveled miles by car, by plane, or by foot to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem just to be in the room where that first breath took place. 

And why? Because that first breath, was the breath of God. 

Today we celebrate that first breath. Today we celebrate that holy night when Jesus was born, when God became human, when the Divine took on flesh just to be with us and bring healing to the world. 

And while we’re an ocean away from Bethlehem and there are no pieces here of Christ’s manger, we still gather in prayer and celebration of that first breath, and perhaps we are closer to it than we realize.

This week I came across an incredible scientific idea—one often taught in college chemistry classrooms. In his book, Caesar’s Last Breath, author Sam Kean explains it like this: every breath you take contains about a liter of air which is filled with about 25 sextillion molecules. That’s 25 thousand million million million molecules. And in that one breath of air there are enough molecules to be distributed evenly across the entire world. And most of those molecules continue to be distributed even through thousands of years of history. So, according to Kean, in any given breath you take, statistically, there is at least one molecule of air that was also in Julius Caesar’s last breath. Mind blowing. 

But if you follow that line of thought further, that would mean we share our breath with every other person in history. And if that’s true…

Take a deep breath with me. 

The breath you just took contains not only molecules from Caesar’s last breath, but from Jesus’ first. That first cry of the baby in Mary’s arms. That first gasp of air that mingled humanity and Divinity. That first breath breathed by God. 

You are a reliquary that quite literally holds within you the very breath of God. 

And that is the point of Christmas. Christmas is not simply a celebration of a moment in history,  Christmas is a celebration of God with us. That because Christ became human, every breath we take is infused with the holy. Every moment we live has been mingled and interconnected with his presence. When God became flesh, God joined the destiny of humanity, and we, humans, took on the destiny of God. No human person lives without being physically, socially, and historically connected to all other humans in history. And when God became human, God joined that universal connection. God became connected to you.

And if you think about it, it sort of puts things into perspective. Whatever is going on in your life right now, whether you burnt the Christmas cookies or have a horribly messy house. Whether you’re estranged from your family or weighed down by grief. Whether you’re filled with anxiety or struggling with addiction. Whether your finances are a mess or you’re exhausted from work. Whether you’re out of patience with your children. Whether you’re out of patience with your parents. Whether you’re about to lose your job. Whether you are lonely. Whether you’re filled with doubts of faith—you are a reliquary for the breath of God. You hold within you, quite literally, the breath of God. And not by accident, God came into this world, because God wanted to share your breath.

Tonight you may be carrying some heavy burdens; you are also carrying within you a piece of God.

So treat yourself with some reverence. With some respect. With some gentleness.

For you are holy. You are good. You are beautiful. You are loved. You carry within you the breath of God. Amen.

Questions for Further Reflection

  1. What does it mean for you to be a “reliquary” that holds the breath of God? How does this understanding shape your self-identity?
  2. In what ways can the image of Jesus’ first breath encourage you to approach relationships with compassion and reverence?
  3. What practices or rituals can you incorporate into your life to help you remember and honor the sacredness of each breath you take?

Resources for Further Reflection

Book: Caesar’s Last Breath by Sam Kean

This is the book mentioned in the sermon. It just so happens that Sam Kean was a seminary of our very own Dr. John Santosuosso!