Catechism Links[1]
CCC 456-460,
566: “Why did the Word become flesh?”
CCC 461-463,
470-478: the Incarnation
CCC 437,
525-526: the Christmas mystery
CCC 439,
496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 65, 102:
God has said everything in his Word
CCC 333:
the incarnate Christ worshipped by the angels
CCC 1159-1162,
2131, 2502: the Incarnation and images of Christ
 |
| “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
At the time of its writing, the Prophet’s intent was to proclaim
the joy of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile to Judah. He sees
the event as salvation for the Hebrew people. God leads them back to the land
he gave their fathers.
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 Jesus Christ.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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).”[5]
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. [Parts of this selection] Hebrews 1:3-4 may be based upon a liturgical hymn, assimilate [sic] 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).”[6]
CCC: Heb
1:1-3 102; Heb 1:1-2 65; Heb 1:3 241, 320, 2502, 2777, 2795; Heb 1:6 333
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 1:1-18
The introduction of St. John’s
Gospel first provides the description of the relationship of God and Jesus who
is the Logos – or word of God. The Word is light to the world and all things
are subordinate to the Word because they were created by and through the Word.
St. John then introduces John the Baptist as one who came to
testify to the light (now homologous 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.
Concluding this selection, the Evangelist makes his own profession
as he speaks of the incarnation of the eternal as “the word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us.” His divinity is once more established as he says
“…we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son.” This was the
message St. John tells us he was sent to bring. He then reestablishes himself
as messenger and servant of the one who sent him, Jesus. He says that while
Moses brought the Law, Christ came and revealed God himself.
CCC: Jn 1:1-3 291;
Jn 1:1 241,
454, 2780; Jn 1:3 268;
Jn 1:4 612;
Jn 1:6 717;
Jn 1:7 719;
Jn 1:9 1216;
Jn 1:11 530;
Jn 1:12-18 1996;
Jn 1:12-13 706;
Jn 1:12 526,
1692; Jn 1:13 496,
505, 526; Jn 1:14 423,
445, 454, 461, 594, 705, 2466; Jn 1:16 423,
504; Jn 1:17 2787;
Jn 1:18 151,
454, 473
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn1:1-5, 9-14
In the shorter form, reference to
St. John the Baptist is omitted. The focus is on the introduction of St.
John’s Gospel which first provides the description of the relationship of God
and Jesus who is the Logos – or word of God. The Word is light to the world and
all things are subordinate to the Word because they were created by and through
the Word.
Concluding this selection, the Evangelist makes his own profession
as he speaks of the incarnation of the eternal as “the word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us.” His divinity is once more established as he says
“…we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son”. This was the
message St. John tells us he was sent to bring. He then reestablishes himself
as messenger and servant of the one who sent him, Jesus. He says that while
Moses brought the Law, Christ came and revealed God himself.
CCC: Jn 1:1-3 291;
Jn 1:1 241,
454, 2780; Jn 1:3 268;
Jn 1:4 612;
Jn 1:9 1216;
Jn 1:11 530;
Jn 1:12-18 1996;
Jn 1:12-13 706;
Jn 1:12 526,
1692; Jn 1:13 496,
505, 526; Jn 1:14 423,
445, 454, 461, 594, 705, 2466
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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” [7]
- Saint Basil
Profound
awe tempers our enthusiasm as our joy at the incarnation of the Word is
announced by St. John’s Gospel today.
His is not the story of the baby Jesus born in the manger in 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, there 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 incarnated it as 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 to mankind nonetheless. 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 or the Logos, the Word that brought
light into the world, we thank the Father, who through his Son’s sacrifice has
adopted us and provided us with salvation through the forgiveness of our
sins. We celebrate the great love we
receive in this gift and pass that love on to all we meet so that we to become
light in dark places.
Merry
Christmas indeed, in the Word comes our joy and the peace of him who was made
flesh for our salvation.
Joy to the World!
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June
2014
[3]
The picture is “Nativity” by Marten de Vos, 1577
[4]
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.
[5]
See NAB footnote on Heb 1:1-6
[6]
ibid
[7]
Homily on the birth of Christ; PG 31, 1471f.
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