The Nativity of the Lord Christmas
Mass at Midnight
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 Giuseppe Sammartino, 1780s |
Reading 1: Isaiah
9:1-6
The people who walked in
darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the
land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them
abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as
at the harvest,
as people make merry when
dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened
them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their
taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the
day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped
in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for
flames.
For a child is born to us, a
son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion
rests.
They name him
Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of
Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over
his kingdom,
which he confirms and
sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever. The
zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-6
It is presumed by some scholars
that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to
celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The Prophet,
however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical
person, but a predicted future king (we of course see the Messiah in
hindsight). The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a
yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster
(enslaver) is cast off.
The oracle celebrates this future
King and Messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The
passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from
David’s line and references his promised succession.
CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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Responsorial Psalm:
R. (Lk 2:11) Today
is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his
name.
R. Today is born our
Savior, Christ the Lord.
Announce his salvation, day
after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Today is born our
Savior, Christ the Lord.
Let the heavens be glad and
the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in
them!
Then shall all the trees of
the forest exult.
R. Today is born our
Savior, Christ the Lord.
They shall exult before the
LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with
justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Today is born our
Savior, Christ the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
“Announce his salvation, day after day.” This song of praise to the Lord
invites all humanity to participate in God’s salvation. “This psalm has
numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Isaiah
Chapters 40-55, as does
Psalm 98.
Another version of the psalm is 1 Chronicles 16:23-33.”[5]
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Reading II: Titus
2:11-14
Beloved:
The grace of God has
appeared, saving all
and training us to reject
godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately,
justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory
of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to
deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a
people as his own, eager to do what is good.
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Commentary on Ti 2:11-14
CCC: Ti 2:12 1809; Ti 2:13 449, 1041, 1130, 1404, 2760, 2818; Ti 2:14 802
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Gospel
In those days a decree went
out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should
be enrolled.
This was the first
enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor
of Syria
So all went to be enrolled,
each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from
Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem
because he was of the house
and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his
betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have
her child,
and she gave birth to her
firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for
them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in
that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch
over their flock.
The angel of the Lord
appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord
shone around them,
and they were struck with
great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you
good news of great joy
that will be for all the
people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for
you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for
you:
you will find an infant
wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a
multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those
on whom his favor rests.”
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Commentary on Lk 2:1-14
The nativity narrative from St.
Luke’s Gospel begins by relating the birth of Jesus to civil rulers in place at
the time. Attempts to develop an exact date for the Lord’s birth based upon
these references has been problematic since there are inconsistencies (see NAB footnote on Luke 2:1-2). Of
importance is the understanding at the time that Caesar Augustus was known in
secular chronicles as “savior and god.” St. Luke contrasts this civil figure
with the true Savior and God, Jesus.
What follows in the story
provides a number of prophetic fulfillments. The Lord’s birth in Bethlehem was
predicted by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). His
humble birth and the virtuous attributes he demonstrated confirmed that his
coming was the one predicted by prophets, angels, and heavenly heralds. As the
angels proclaim emphatically, the coming of the babe in swaddling clothes
brings the offer of God’s peace to the world.
CCC: Lk 2:6-7 525; Lk 2:7 515; Lk
2:8-20 486, 525; Lk
2:8-14 333; Lk 2:10 333; Lk 2:11 437, 448, 695; Lk 2:14 333, 559, 725
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Reflection:
As we listen to the oh-so-familiar
verses of St. Luke’s Gospel describing the birth of Jesus in the manger of
Bethlehem, many of us are catapulted back in time to our childhood. That story, supported by our favorite
Christmas hymns, recalls a time of happiness and joy. We remember our innocent excitement, almost
like a racial memory that linked the angels, shepherds, and holy family to the
joy of giving and receiving gifts, of being together with family and friends.
The story of the nativity
from St. Luke is, for most of us, synonymous with the joy of Christmas. Because of that relationship with childhood
joy, it is also a time of difficult emotions as those of us who are older
remember Christmases past and feel the loss of those who are not physically
with us to share this wondrous feast. In
these challenging years, it can also be a time of intense stress as parents struggle
with difficult financial choices and the customary crowd of presents under the
tree that may seem too thin this year.
To those whose emotions want
to move toward depression, because of the lack of loved ones gone on before us,
or finances depleted, remember the joy of the present that is always given, the
story that is always told. The present
God gave us was not under a Christmas tree with presents spilling out into the
room. The present that brings us peace
and joy was delivered in the poorest of settings. No matter how “quaint” the manger may seem
set up with miniature statues of shepherds and angels, in reality it was a
stable – a humble barn. How do you think
Joseph felt having his wife deliver her firstborn in such a setting? And look at the gift that came to us without
family and friends looking on to give support and comfort.
It is a new Christmas we
celebrate this year, one that comes to us in a life full of possibilities. The Christ Child came to bring joy and peace
as savior of the world, and we all should draw comfort from God’s great love
that gave so great a gift. So this holy
night, we remember the humble and lonely beginning of Christmas. We rejoice with the Virgin Mother and her
husband at the new life they brought into the world who, through God’s loving
spirit, brings life to us all.
Merry Christmas
[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
[2]
The picture is “Nativity” by Giuseppe Sammartino, 1780s
[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 Psalm 96
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