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!
-------------------------------------------
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. There will be no more war
("For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in
blood, will be burned as fuel for flames").
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.
-------------------------------------------
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]
CCC: Ps 96:2 2143
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on
Ti 2:11-14
St. Paul
gives a summary of Christian behavioral norms under the instruction and
influence of the Holy Spirit (“For the grace of God has appeared…”). His
language clearly implies that he expects the imminent return of Christ in the
Parousia, the final judgment.
In the
final verse: “to cleanse for himself a people as his own,” “The
expression is taken from the Greek OT. Both Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6 use these words to describe Israel as Yahweh’s special
possession by covenant. The nation was set apart as a holy and priestly people
called to draw other nations closer to God (Deuteronomy 4:6-8; Isaiah 49:6). But since the persistence of sin and
weakness prevented Israel from fulfilling this vocation under the Old Covenant,
Christ came to reconstitute his covenant people in the Church (1 Peter 2:9) and to empower them to fulfill the mission once given to
Israel (Matthew 5:14-16). Paul’s words are also reminiscent of the New
Covenant oracles of Ezekiel, especially Ezekiel 37:23.” [6]
CCC: Ti 2:12 1809; Ti 2:13 449, 1041, 1130, 1404, 2760, 2818;
Ti 2:14 802
-------------------------------------------
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.”
-------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------
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 absence 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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[5]
See NAB footnote on Psalm 96.
[6]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco
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