Mass During the Day
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| “Nativity” by Marten de Vos, 1577 |
Reading 1: Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the
mountains
are the feet of him who
brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing
good news,
announcing salvation, and
saying to Zion
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a
cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before
their eyes,
the Lord restoring Zion
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem
For the LORD comforts his
people,
he redeems Jerusalem
The Lord has bared his holy
arm
in the sight of all the
nations;
all the ends of the earth
will behold
the salvation of our God.
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Commentary on Is 52:7-10
The Prophet’s original intent was to proclaim the joy of the
return from the Babylonian exile. He
sees the event as salvation for the Hebrew people, God leads them back. From a greater distance and depth of
understanding we see him announcing the coming of the Messiah and the salvation
that comes to the New Jerusalem through him.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
R. (3c) All the ends of the earth have seen the
saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won
victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving
power of God.
The LORD has made his
salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed
his justice.
He has remembered his
kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving
power of God.
All the ends of the earth
have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD,
all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving
power of God.
Sing praise to the LORD with
the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound
of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving
power of God.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this
selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people and the
salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s
salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people and they sing
his praises in response. As the Hebrews
saw this as salvation for the people of Israel
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Reading II: Hebrews 1:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in
partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the
prophets;
in these last days, he has
spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all
things
and through whom he created
the universe,
who is the refulgence of his
glory,
the very imprint of his
being,
and who sustains all things
by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished
purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right
hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited
is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels
did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I
have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me?
And again, when he leads the
firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God
worship him.
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Commentary on Heb 1:1-6
“The letter (to the Hebrews) opens with an introduction
consisting of a reflection on the climax of God's revelation to the human race
in his Son. The divine communication was initiated and maintained during Old
Testament times in fragmentary and varied ways through the prophets (Hebrews
1:1), including Abraham, Moses, and
all through whom God spoke. But now in these last days (Hebrews
1:2) the final age, God's revelation
of his saving purpose is achieved through a son, i.e., one who is Son, whose
role is redeemer and mediator of creation. He was made heir of all things
through his death and exaltation to glory, yet he existed before he appeared as
man; through him God created the universe. Hebrews
1:3-4, which may be based upon a
liturgical hymn, assimilate the Son to the personified Wisdom of the Old
Testament as refulgence of God's glory and imprint of his being (Hebrews
1:3; cf Wisdom
7:26).”[4]
While the book is attributed to
St. Paul from the earliest times in the Church (St. Clement of Alexandria and
Eucebius of Caesarea in the 3rd century) we note that the introduction lacks
any mention of the identity of the author and hence has caused wide debate
(Origen accepted it only as Pauline thought but argued that the language and
style were not like his other letters). Regardless of its authorship it has
been part of the Canon of sacred scriptures from the late second century A.D.
onward and tradition holds that St. Paul was responsible for its publication
even if he did not dictate it.
In addition to the lack of a
standard greeting as part of the introduction we note another emphasis which
gives us insight into how the Christian community viewed the transformative
event of the revelation brought through Christ. Using the phrase “…in these
last days” the author provides a sense that the “Christ event” was seen as the
end of an age of mankind and the beginning of another (see also Isaiah 2:2, Jeremiah 23:20, Ezekiel 38:16, and Daniel 10:14).
The content establishes Jesus’
supreme position as one in essence with the Father; “The letter (to the
Hebrews) opens with an introduction consisting of a reflection on the climax of
God's revelation to the human race in his Son. The divine communication was
initiated and maintained during Old Testament times in fragmentary and varied
ways through the prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and all through whom God
spoke. But now in these last days the final age, God's revelation of his saving
purpose is achieved through a son, i.e., one who is Son, whose role is redeemer
and mediator of creation. He was made heir of all things through his death and
exaltation to glory, yet he existed before he appeared as man; through him God
created the universe., which may be based upon a liturgical hymn, assimilate
the Son to the personified Wisdom of the Old Testament as refulgence of God's
glory and imprint of his being; cf Wisdom 7:26).”[5]
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Gospel: John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the
Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with
God.
All things came to be through
him,
and without him nothing came
to be.
What came to be through him
was life,
and this life was the light
of the human race;
the light shines in the
darkness,
and the darkness has not
overcome it.
A man named John was sent
from God.
He came for testimony, to
testify to the light,
so that all might believe
through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the
light.
The true light, which
enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be
through him,
but the world did not know
him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not
accept him.
But to those who did accept
him
he gave power to become
children of God,
to those who believe in his
name,
who were born not by natural
generation
nor by human choice nor by a
man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among
us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s
only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and
cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after
me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before
me.’”
From his fullness we have all
received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was
given through Moses,
grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at
the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
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Commentary on Jn 1:1-18
The introduction of St.
John’s
St. John then introduces John the Baptist as one who came to
testify to the light (now equivocated above with the Word). His message, like that of Jesus was not
accepted by the very people created by the Lord. He goes on to say that those who accept
Christ are adopted by God.
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OR: John1:1-5, 9-14
In the beginning was the
Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with
God.
All things came to be through
him,
and without him nothing came
to be.
What came to be through him
was life,
and this life was the light
of the human race;
the light shines in the
darkness,
and the darkness has not
overcome it.
The true light, which
enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be
through him,
but the world did not know
him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not
accept him.
But to those who did accept
him
he gave power to become
children of God,
to those who believe in his
name,
who were born not by natural
generation
nor by human choice nor by a
man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among
us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s
only Son,
full of grace and truth.
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Commentary on Jn1:1-5, 9-14
In
this shorter form of the Gospel, the first introduction and second
introductions of the Gospel author is omitted “the one who came to testify to
the light. He reiterates John the Baptist’s role as messenger in the John 1:15
as he says “This was he of whom I said,
'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" Omitting these references to St. John,
focuses the scripture more specifically on the incarnation of Christ as the “Word made flesh.”
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Reflection:
“This feast is held in common by the whole creation:
the stars run in the heavens, magi arrive from foreign lands, the earth
receives him in a cave. There is nothing that does not add to this feast,
nothing that does not come to it with full hands. Let us, too, ring out a song
of joy” [6]
- Saint Basil
Profound
awe tempers our enthusiasm as our joy at the incarnation of the word is
announced by St. John’s Bethlehem St. John does
not mention the difficult journey from Nazareth
This
day we are reminded that he who took on flesh and became man for our salvation
is eternal. Before he came to the
virgin’s womb was the Word. When God
created all that is was the Word. It was
through the Word that we have life and light because the Word is light.
God
took the light of creation and made it man so that we might see the light and
understand the love of God who was both eternal and mortal in the form of
Jesus. It is this amazing gift we
celebrate today as we ponder the love of one so great he is beyond our
imagining.
We
are reminded too that when the light came into the world it was rejected by
those who love the darkness. The Word made
flesh was not to be adored but brought light none the less. His short journey was from the manger to the
cross and while we celebrate one on this day, we remember the other.
Today,
whether we recall the manger in Bethlehem
Merry
Christmas indeed, in the Word comes our joy and the peace of him who was made
flesh four our salvation.
Joy to the World!
[1]
ALTRE
[2]
The picture is “Nativity” by Marten de Vos, 1577
[3]
The
readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm
and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[4]
See NAB footnote on Heb 1:1-6
[5]
ibid
[6]
Homily on the birth of Christ; PG 31, 1471f.
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