Christmas
At the Vigil Mass
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
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| “Nativity” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1732 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Isaiah 62:1-5
Commentary on Is 62:1-5
Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Christ [Messiah] with several references and images. Christ is identified as the vindication of Israel. Once the Lord has delivered his salvation, the land will be called the Lord’s delight. Finally, the image of the bridegroom and the bride are used as a common metaphor for the Messiah and the people of God (see also Hosea 2:11-15).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Commentary on Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29
Psalm 89 is a communal lament sung after the defeat of the Davidic king, because it calls into question God’s promise made in the strophes cited here wherein God promised David’s throne to stand forever. The community asks God to remember his promise.
CCC: Ps 89 709
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Reading II: Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Commentary on Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
St. Paul, speaking to Jews who were being called to deeper faith in Christ, reminds them that the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the lineage of King David had been fulfilled. He speaks of St. John the Baptist as the herald of that event by recounting his (St. John’s) prophetic speech on the occasion of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan (see also Mark 1:6-7; Matthew 3:11; John 1:26-27).
CCC: Acts 13:24 523
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Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25
Commentary on Mt 1:1-25
St. Matthew, speaking to a predominantly Jewish audience who call themselves “Sons of Abraham,” produces the genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham. The critical purpose is to show that Jesus was of the line of King David. This was an important demonstration that Jesus was the Messiah as predicted in the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament (the “Prophets” as they were known and referenced by the Jewish audience).
In the final verse of this reading we see the significance of Hebrew Numerology as the numbers of generations are counted. Recalling the most perfect number in this symbolic system is seven (7), we see the product of two sevens in the generations from Abraham and David, two more between King David and the Babylonian Exile, and two more from the Exile to the Messiah. Three (the formula for the most, e.g. holy, holy, holy equivalent to holy, holier, holiest) times the product of two sevens, this is six (6) sevens, one short of the perfection to be achieved when Christ will come again.
"The particular genealogy in Matt 1:1-17 compresses the entire history of Israel into seventeen short verses. The many names would have brought to mind the various twists and turns, triumphs and tragedies, in that story. By tracing Jesus' lineage back to David and Abraham, Matthew places the story of Jesus within the larger plot of God's dealings with Israel and, at the same time, announces that Israel's story is reaching its climax in the child at the end of the line. Most of all, the genealogy establishes Jesus' messianic credentials. Grafted on to the trunk of David's royal lineage, Jesus will appear as the legal heir of this family's kingly prerogatives that have been passed down from generation to generation." [5]
CCC: Mt 1:18-25 497; Mt 1:20 333, 437, 486, 497; Mt 1:21 430, 437, 452, 1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; Mt 1:23 497, 744
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Commentary on Mt 1:18-25
This passage is from the beginning of St. Matthew’s story of the nativity of Jesus. Here we see Joseph being told by the angel that he should bring Mary into his home as wife and the paternity of the child is the Holy Spirit. He is also told to name the child Jesus. The story ends with Joseph accepting the role and the command of the angel. “The natural genealogical line is broken, but the promises to David are fulfilled. Through Joseph's adoption, the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.” [6]
CCC: Mt 1:16 437; Mt 1:18-25 497; Mt 1:20 333, 437, 486, 497; Mt 1:21 430, 437, 452, 1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; Mt 1:23 497, 744
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Children’s Homily:
Has anyone heard a poem that starts out “'Twas the night before Christmas?” That’s tonight isn’t it? And does anyone remember who that poem says the children, who were all “nestled all snug in their beds,” were expecting? It was St. Nicholas! And he arrived in a spectacular way didn’t he?
Now here’s a question that’s really hard. Does anyone know why St. Nicholas, whose feast day was three weeks ago on December 6th, would be coming around on Jesus’ birthday? Who can tell me what St. Nicholas is best remembered for? He came to children late at night and gave them gifts. There is a long story about why he gave them the gifts, but St. Nicholas (who was a Bishop by the way, and God probably made him a Cardinal because his suit is red and not purple) started giving his gifts a long time ago (even before your grandma and grandpa were born).
Why do you think his habit of giving gifts to children happens on Christmas now? Who else gave gifts at Christmas? The three wise men, the Magi, came to Jesus and gave gifts didn’t they? We are going to celebrate that part of the Christmas story in a little over a week from now.
Who else gave a gift on Christmas? God gave a gift. He had his angels come and tell a whole bunch of people he was giving a gift. Does anyone know who he told first (this is trick question, now)? It wasn’t the shepherds. It wasn’t the Magi, it wasn’t even the old prophets, although they knew the gift would be given. I’ll give you a hint. The Archangel Gabriel told someone first. It was the Virgin Mary that was told first, and she had to know first because she was the one who would actually deliver the gift to the whole world.
Who listened to the Gospel tonight? The Archangel Gabriel also told someone else about the present. Who was that? Joseph had to know because he had to take care of his new wife who was St. Mary and he was also going to have to take care of the gift that was the baby Jesus while he was growing up. Think of how great that would have been, to spend all that time with Jesus while he was growing up.
Isn’t that wonderful? It is not only Jesus' birthday but he was the birthday present as well. So what better time for St. Nicholas to bring gifts than on the night when we remember God’s great gift to us.
There’s another part to this story as well. It’s a birthday and like all birthdays we should give gifts to the person whose birthday we celebrate. What do you think Jesus would like as a gift? Remember now, Jesus has the whole world, so what do you think we can give him that he would like? It’s pretty hard to find something he doesn’t already have isn’t it? Let me give you a few ideas of what he would like.
He would like to get a card from you with your very own prayer on it. That would be something you could give from your heart and that’s what he really likes (if he had a refrigerator in heaven he’d put it up with a magnet and leave it there).
He would like you to do something nice for your mom and dad, or even your brother or sister. He would especially like it if you did something nice for a person who didn’t really like you. That’s the way Jesus is, he loves everyone.
There are lots of ways we can give gifts to Jesus and he likes to get them all year long. And guess what? A long time ago, people started to notice that when they gave gifts to Jesus, they seemed to get gifts in return. I’m pretty sure that’s where the song came from. You know: “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake …”
Tonight we say Happy Birthday to Jesus (only we usually just say Merry Christmas). It should be a wonderful celebration because it’s when God gave all of us the greatest gift of all, and remember he expects us to share it!
Adult Reflection:
The birthday of the Lord has arrived at last. Our long vigil of Advent is drawing to a close and the great celebration of the Christmas season begins. The great plan of God takes a giant leap as he reveals himself to us, incarnate in the Christ Child. All of those who have been instrumental in the Lord’s great work line up behind this moment. From the very dawn of creation when Adam and Eve first walked upon the earth and fell from grace this moment has been prayed for. God was forced to wash sin away in the great flood, and this Child of God who comes to take away the sin of the world was prayed for.
Moses who led the Hebrew people out of cruel bondage in Egypt, who released them from the power of sinful men was but a glimpse of him who rests in the manger. He leads us beside the still waters and brings us safely to his home in heaven. It was Moses who brought those ancient Hebrews the Law, and this Infant Christ gives us the new law of love. Moses parted the Red Sea; Jesus unlocks the gates of heaven.
Abraham and his descendants Isaac and Jacob established the people of God in the land the Father had promised. This child leads us by the hand to the new Promised Land in the heavenly kingdom. The great patriarchs of the Jewish people saw only the law and the prophets; this little one comes to fulfill all these things in marvelous ways.
We see in the long line of His genealogy the plan of God unfolding. Generation upon generation has looked for the face of God; seeking the peace and consolation only the Living God can bring. Now, in our remembrance of the clear night when the morning star lights up the heavens and the earth fairly leaps with joy, we recall the child who comes. He comes like the tiny grain of sand that starts an avalanche of majestic proportions, an avalanche of which we have become a part. For tonight it is enough for us to bask in the joy of his coming and the peace he wishes upon us.
Merry Christmas – our Savior is born!
Pax
[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 used is “Nativity” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1732.
[5] The Gospel of Matthew, © 2010 Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 33
[6] See NAB footnote on Matthew 1: 18-25.
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