The Nativity of the Lord
Christmas
At the Vigil MassReadings for the Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord[1][2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Isaiah 62:1-5
Jerusalem
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
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Commentary on Is 62:1-5
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29
“Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this peopleIsrael
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the
land of Egypt .
With uplifted arm he led them out of it.
Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;
of him he testified,
‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought toIsrael
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people ofIsrael
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”
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Commentary on Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
St. Paul 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).
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Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
Now this is how the birth of
Jesus Christ came about.
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
Or Matthew 1:18-25
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
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Commentary on Mt 1:18-25
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!
Christmas
At the Vigil MassReadings for the Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord[1][2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion
for until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your
vindication,
and all the kings your glory;you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
I have made a covenant with
my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know
the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD,
they walk.At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
He shall say of me, “You are
my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.”Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
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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
When Paul reached Antioch
he stood up, motioned with
his hand, and said, “Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the
With uplifted arm he led them out of it.
Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;
of him he testified,
‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
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Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25
The book of the genealogy of
Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
Abraham became the father of
Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of
Solomon,
whose mother had been the
wife of Uriah.Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father
of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of
generations
from Abraham to Davidis fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the
Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his
home.
He had no relations with her
until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Or Matthew 1:18-25
Now this is how the birth of
Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.” [5]
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
[1] S.S. Commemoratio
[2] The picture used is “Nativity” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1732[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved
[5] See NAB footnote on Matthew 1: 18-25
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