By Martin Jumbam
Today, the Universal Church and humanity as a whole celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In the Entrance Antiphon we pray: “A child is born for us, a son given to us; dominion is laid on his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Amen.”
On this day, God has acted on his promise of old and given us a Saviour. In the first reading, from Isaiah 52: 7-10, the prophet Isaiah sings a hymn of praise to God who has brought salvation to the city of Jerusalem. The messenger is seen running along the mountain ridges to the Holy City with the news of the return of the exiles. The watchman takes it up and proclaims it to the ruined city of Jerusalem. In the Second Reading, from Hebrews 1: 1-6, the sacred writer recalls how throughout the Old Testament, God revealed his plan of redemption to the forerunners and ancestors of the Christian faith: the prophets. But now, God has revealed and achieved all he promised through his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, from the Prologue of Saint John 1: 1-18, the traditional Gospel of Christmas Day, the evangelist John tells us that the Word shares the Father’s divine being and his creative activity. Through him comes the communication and revelation of true and eternal life.
First Reading: Isaiah 52: 7-10.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation, and tells Zion, ‘Your God is king! Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices, they shout for joy together, for they see the Lord face to face, as he returns to Zion. Break into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem. The Lord bares his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
V/ The Word of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
The prophet Isaiah is often considered the greatest of the prophets. He was born in about 765 BC of a Jerusalem aristocratic family. He received his prophetic vocation in 740 BC and his long ministry spanned a period of over forty years, a period dominated by the ever increasing threat to Israel and Judah by the Assyrians.
The Book of Isaiah covers three distinct periods of Israel’s history. The first part, chapters 1-39, was written by the prophet himself; the second and third parts were written by other prophets when the people of Israel were in exile in Babylon and after their return from exile.
The passage for our meditation this Christmas day is the climax to a long poem of Second Isaiah. The prophet sings a hymn of praise to God, and a praise of the city of Jerusalem which now receives the good news of God’s salvation. Salvation is approaching; it has reached the gates of Zion. A messenger is seen running along the mountain ridges, proclaiming that the Lord is returning to his holy city, like a victorious king coming back with his men, having redeemed them from their captors.
This victory parade includes songs of joy extolling the salvation brought about by the Lord, and also a pressing call for purification, to ensure that those who welcome the Lord are worthy to form part of his holy company. These verses form the famous poem of the “messenger of peace” who “brings good tidings”. The messenger’s feet are praised – a symbol of his speed as he crossed the mountain ridges with the important news of the return of the exiles and of God’s message of salvation to the Holy City of Jerusalem.
His message involves peace, meaning safety in Israel after the hardships of life in exile. The core of this message is the enthronement of God: “Behold your God!” God has now taken control of Zion. God’s kingdom has now come to his people. This message will be more fully developed in the New Testament when Christ will preach a gospel centered on the kingdom of God.
What do I take out of this message on this day of Christ’s birth? The arrival of the messenger of peace to the city of Jerusalem raises shouts of joy that resound across the city. So also should the coming of the Messiah, Emmanuel – God with us – bring joy to our hearts and souls. We should be like the messenger of peace as we take the news of Christ’s birth into our families, especially to those of our brothers and sisters – and there are many of them – who are still to hear this good news of Christ’s birth. Some have heard the news but Satan has picked it out of their souls, leaving them deserts of despair. We ask the Holy Spirit to make us messengers of true peace at home, in our parish community and in our work places. Amen.
Second Reading: Hebrews 1: 1-6.
At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name. God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father, or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.
V/ The word of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
The Letter to the Hebrews is one of the most imposing and important books in the New Testament. It was written principally to show the superiority of Christianity over the Old Covenant. It focuses on the idea that Christ's priesthood and sacrifice are superior to those of the priests of old. The sacred writer uses this teaching as the basis for encouraging his readers to persevere in the faith despite the difficulties they may face in their Christian life.
The passage selected for our meditation is the prologue or the introduction to this letter. The entire letter develops the main message in this prologue, that is, that Christ is the sublime, natural and eternal Son of God, the universal Mediator and eternal High Priest. It speaks of Christ whose mission is to save mankind, a mission appropriate to the Word who created all things.
By speaking to us through his Son, God reveals to us his saving will from the moment of the Incarnation. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Christ Jesus, has come into the world to redeem us by dying on the cross to open us the way to heaven. He thus completes and perfects God’s merciful revelation.
What is this passage telling us? This letter is very much an epistle of fulfillment. Its sacred writer shows us that God's final word is preached to those of us who are in danger of falling away from our faith. Christ, who is born today, is the co-creator of the universe with his Father. We should therefore welcome him into our hearts, as he lies in the sable, for he has come that we may have life and have it in abundance. We call on the Holy Spirit to fortify our faith and give us the courage to proclaim his word in season and out of season, whether we are listened to or not. Amen.
Gospel: John 1: 1-18.
In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower. A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light. The Word was the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world. He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own domain and his own people did not accept him. But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God himself. The Word was made flesh, he lives among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John appears as his witness. He proclaims: ‘This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks before me because he existed before me.’ Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received – yes, grace in return for grace, since, though the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
V/ The Gospel of the Lord. R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Comment
Today we celebrate the birthday of Christ the child. God our Father invites us to this great feast for, as the angels tell the shepherd, “to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Lord” (Lk 2: 11). Immanuel, God is with us. Christmas is a day of exuberant joy because, as Saint John tells us in the Gospel of this day, God’s Word has been made flesh and dwells among us. The day announced several centuries ago by the prophets has come to be. The Savior is born to the world. The shepherds are overwhelmed by the good news of Christ’s birth and become the first evangelists to proclaim it to the world.
We too have reason to celebrate for God is with us. God has fulfilled his promise to us, that is, he has given us a Savior, Christ Jesus. In his beautiful book, Living the Word, Father Antony Kolencherry focuses attention on Christmas as a community and family feast. One of the most remarkable features of Christmas, he tells me, is its family character. It brings us together, friends and relatives and indeed the whole community of the faithful. Together, we experience the love and warmth of our near and dear ones. This helps to break the monotony and feeling of loneliness. It brings a spirit of reconciliation where relationships had been hurt or bruised over the year. It enables the community to dwell in peace and happiness and harmony as members greet each other, share gifts and good wishes as a sign of community belonging.
The reason for the joy of Christmas is explained in this verse from Saint John’s Gospel passage of this day. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1: 14). Yes, Christ has taken human nature to make us partners worthy to be called “the children of God”. Saint John has summed up in these words the whole content of God’s mission of salvation for us all. God the Father loved us so much that he has sent his only begotten Son on to be born on this day for our salvation. Jesus is the image of the unseen God (Col. 1:15). God dwells among men. He is everywhere, through him everything is made, in him is life (Heb 2:14).
What message should Christmas bring to us? First and foremost, a Christian community is only possible where people are open and lead a just and righteous life. It is possible only where God is at work, where people share and help one another to become truly mature Christians.
Christmas should therefore be a period of reconciliation in our Christian community and in our families. Is there acceptance between husband and wife, parents and children, members of the same Christian community? Do we keep aside ‘kongossa’ and mingle with one another as true children of the same God, accepting even those who openly hate us or are indifferent to us? God accepts them, so should we too.
Christmas is the festival of love, involving families and whole communities. This is the event we celebrate today. God has shown us how to love one another, accept even those who do not care about us, and pray for those who hate us. Jesus himself has said that what we do to the least of his brothers, we do unto him.
Christmas reminds us to be open to all as God is open to us. It exhorts us to go out of ourselves to the community, to the needy, to the poor and the hungry because God identifies himself with them. If we do not do that, then we will be like those in Bethlehem who did not open their doors to Joseph and Mary. Our homes however beautiful they may be, our churches however grandiose and spectacular, our celebrations however solemn, will be empty without Christ, the incarnation of love. Jesus is already here, and he is knocking at the door to our hearts, minds and souls. Do we hear him? Do we let him in?
Lord Jesus, you are our light; come and shine in our souls and purify our hearts and souls of all stains of sin. Bring us your message of peace and love and help us to share your love with others. Amen.
Comments