Seeing and believing are important Johannine themes that appear in the Gospel According to John and the letters that bear his name. In addition to the immediate post-resurrection experience at the tomb, recounted in today's gospel scripture, there are the healing of the man born blind in chapter nine and the post-resurrection appearance in which the apostle Thomas is confronted with his skepticism. In that encounter, Jesus says to Thomas: Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." [John 20:29].
There are two important points I'd like to call attention to in this. First, Christian faith rests on the testimony of the apostles and other disciples who were the original believers and received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were the ones who physically experienced Jesus in his ministry and post-resurrection appearances. This leads us to my second point! We are the ones who have not seen but believe because of the testimony of the apostles and disciples. This testimony exists in the gospels and letters of the New Testament.
The nativity scene is an example of the testimony as well as the crucifix but the Prologue to the Gospel According to John (and the First Letter of John in today's first scripture) also tell us that this scene is part of a larger reality that has existed "from the beginning..." The "Word made flesh" is shown in a manger in human history, but has come from eternity. This "Word of life" has been and continues to be proclaimed to us from the testimony of the apostles and proclaimed by us who have not seen but do believe. The immediate aftermath of the Christmas celebration can obscure the testimony of St. Stephen, the first martyr, and St. John, the beloved disciple, but we still have the task every day to proclaim the "grace and truth" of what we have seen and heard in the celebration of Christmas! AMEN