Breaking Open the Word
By James Cavanagh
Dec. 25: The Solemnity of Christmas
Scripture readings:
There are four sets of readings for Christmas: Vigil Mass; Mass at Midnight; Mass at Dawn; Mass during the Day. That’s 16 different readings! And since Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, Sunday celebrates the feast of the Holy Family which involves another set of readings (and yes, it is a holy day of obligation). Given the number of readings, it is impossible to comment on all of them here. Click here to review the different sets of readings.
Synopsis:
The feast of the Nativity of the Lord is one of most important feasts of the year, second only to Easter. Its importance is indicated by the fact that we celebrate it with four different Masses and for 12 full days. Each one of the first readings is from Isaiah (62:1-5; 9:1-6; 62:11-12; 52:7-10) and they all speak about the messianic king who comes to claim his throne, thus fulfilling the promises made to David. With his ascendancy comes peace and joy. Despite his humble birth, Jesus Christ fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesies, but now his palace is a stable and his throne a manger.
The four psalms are “enthronement” psalms, which were traditionally sung whenever a new king was established in Israel. As such they’re a perfect response to the readings from Isaiah.
The second reading speaks in various ways about the miracle of the Incarnation: The reading from Acts highlights Christ’s relationship to David. The readings from Paul’s letter to Titus emphasize the divinity of Christ, while the reading from Hebrews stresses Christ’s eternity and supremacy.
The first three Gospel readings are from Matthew and Luke, which tell the familiar story of Christ’s birth. The fourth Gospel reading is from the magnificent prologue of St. John’s Gospel, which speaks about the pre-existence of Christ, “the Word” before the creation of the world.
Key verse:
“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” (Jn 1:14; Mass during the day).
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“At the time appointed by God, the only Son of the Father, the eternal Word, that is, the Word and substantial Image of the Father, became incarnate; without losing his divine nature he has assumed human nature. The Incarnation is therefore the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and human natures in the one person of the Word” (Nos. 479, 483).
Pope Benedict XVI:
“'To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God’ (Jn 1:12). There are those who receive him, and thus, beginning with the stable, with the outside, there grows silently the new house, the new city, the new world. The message of Christmas makes us recognize the darkness of a closed world, and thereby no doubt illustrates a reality that we see daily. Yet it also tells us that God does not allow himself to be shut out. He finds a space, even if it means entering through the stable; there are people who see his light and pass it on” (Homily, Christmas 2007).
Life application:
At Christmas we not only celebrate Christ’s birth, an event of the past, but we affirm the reality of the Incarnation in which God became man. The Word of God comes into the world every time Mass is celebrated. The question is: will we receive him in loving faith the way Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Wise Men did? Or, will we allow the darkness of a world enslaved by sin and error blind us to his existence and his truth?
James Cavanagh is director of Evangelization and Catechesis for Metro-Area Parishes of the Denver Archdiocese. For information on subscribing to "Breaking Open the Word, click here. For archives click here.
