The Nativity of the Lord - Mass During the Day

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Mass at Night (Midnight)
 
Mass at the Vigil
 
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 Marten de Vos, 1577

Readings for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
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.
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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.
 
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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.
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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.
 
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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.
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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).
 
CCC: Heb 1:1-3 102; Heb 1:1-2 65; Heb 1:3 241, 320, 2502, 2777, 2795; Heb 1:6 333
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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” [7]
 
- 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 nor the crowded conditions that forced them to stay in a cave.  He does not recall the angel choirs singing to the shepherds nor the kings from the East following the morning star that lit the night sky under which the baby was laid.
 
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 too 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!

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[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.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[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] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 231.
[6] NAB footnote on Heb 1:1-6.
[7] Homily on the birth of Christ; PG 31, 1471f.