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.
-------------------------------------------
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.
“These
verses form the famous poem of the ‘messenger of peace’ who ‘brings good
tidings.’ The ideas of the first oracle of this second part of the book (Isaiah 40:1-11) are repeated here very beautifully. The messenger's feet are
praised - a symbol of his speed and surefootedness when crossing the mountains,
which is where important news comes from (cf. Isaiah 40:9). His message (v. 7) is described very significantly as involving
‘peace,’ which in Isaiah means safety in Israel after the hardships of exile;
‘good tidings’ or, more literally, ‘news of goodness and well-being,’ that is,
genuine material and spiritual prosperity; and 'salvation,' which is permanent
renewal on all levels. The three words read together mean the highest degree of
happiness imaginable. The core of this message is the enthronement of God:
‘Your God reigns,’ similar to Isaiah 40:9: ‘Behold your God.’” [5]
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 from its enemies, we see the deeper
expression of God’s love as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the
whole world.
-------------------------------------------
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).” [6]
While the
book is attributed to St. Paul from the earliest times in the Church (St.
Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius 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).” [7]
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” [8]
- 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.
[2]
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]
The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002,
p. 231
[6]
See NAB footnote on Heb 1:1-6.
[7]
Ibid.
[8]
Homily on the birth of Christ; PG 31, 1471f.
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