On this day, December 25th, 2024, the Universal Church and humanity celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Entrance Antiphon proclaims: "A child is born for us, a son is given to us; dominion is laid on his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Amen."
On this sacred day, God fulfills His ancient promise and gives us a Saviour. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah sings a hymn of praise to God, who has brought salvation to Jerusalem. A messenger is depicted running along the mountain ridges toward the Holy City, bringing the joyful news of the return of the exiles. The watchmen echo this proclamation to the once-ruined Zion.
In the second reading, the sacred writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reflects on how God revealed His plan of redemption to the ancestors and forerunners of the Christian faith throughout the Old Testament. Now, God has fully revealed and fulfilled His promises through His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Gospel reading for Christmas Day features the Prologue of Saint John. In it, the evangelist describes how the Word shares the Father’s divine nature and creative power. Through the Word comes the communication and revelation of true and eternal life.
During this Eucharistic celebration, let us pray that the Lord may send His messenger of peace to run across the ridges of our land, Cameroon, bringing the good news that the guns have been silenced at last and that those who have been exiled from their homes in the northwest, southwest and northern parts of our country are returning to their homes. May peace return, and may the exiles come home.
First Reading: Isaiah 52: 7-10.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight, they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Comment
The prophet Isaiah, often regarded as the greatest of the prophets, was born around 765 BC into an aristocratic family in Jerusalem. He received his prophetic vocation in 740 BC, and his ministry spanned over forty years, a time dominated by the growing threat to Israel and Judah from the Assyrians.
The Book of Isaiah reflects three distinct periods in Israel’s history. The first part (chapters 1–39) was written by Isaiah himself, while the second and third parts were composed by other prophets during the Babylonian exile and after the return from exile.
The passage for our meditation this Christmas Day comes from a climactic poem by Second Isaiah. In this hymn of praise, the prophet celebrates God’s salvation and the restoration of Jerusalem. Salvation has arrived and is at Zion’s gates. A messenger is depicted running across the mountain ridges, proclaiming the Lord’s return to His holy city, like a victorious king leading His people home after redeeming them from their captors.
This victory procession is marked by songs of joy, extolling the salvation brought by the Lord and issuing a call for purification, ensuring that those who welcome Him are worthy to be part of His holy company. These verses form the famous “Messenger of Peace” poem, celebrating the one who “brings good tidings.” The messenger’s feet are praised—a symbol of his swiftness in delivering the vital news of the exiles’ return and God’s salvation for Jerusalem.
The message embodies peace, signifying safety and renewal for Israel after the hardships of exile. At its core is the proclamation of God’s sovereignty: “Behold your God!” God has now taken control of Zion, establishing His kingdom among His people. This message reaches its fulfillment in the New Testament, where Christ preaches a gospel-centered on the Kingdom of God.
What message do I take from this day of Christ’s birth? As I hear the prophet Isaiah proclaim the arrival of the messenger of peace to Jerusalem, I yearn and pray for that same messenger to run across the ridges and hills of our dear land, Cameroon, announcing that peace has finally arrived in the northwest, southwest, and northern regions. May we, like the inhabitants of the holy city, raise shouts of joy as we welcome the messenger of peace.
May the guns of destruction that have caused so much harm to lives and property be silenced forever. When that day comes, the arrival of the Messiah, Emmanuel—God with us—will truly bring joy to our hearts and souls.
In turn, let us also be messengers of peace, bringing the news of Christ’s birth to our families and to our brothers and sisters—many of whom have yet to hear the good news of our Saviour’s birth. Some have heard it, but Satan has taken it from their hearts, leaving them as deserts of despair. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to make us true messengers of peace in our homes, our parish communities, and our workplaces.
We make our supplication through Christ, the risen Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Second Reading: Hebrews 1: 1-6.
Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to 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; today I have begotten you.” Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Comment
As we have mentioned in previous reflections, the “Letter to the Hebrews” is one of the most profound and significant books in the New Testament. Its primary purpose is to demonstrate the superiority of Christianity over the Old Covenant. It emphasizes that Christ's priesthood and sacrifice surpass those of the priests of old. The sacred writer uses this teaching to encourage readers to remain steadfast in their faith, even in the face of challenges in their Christian life.
The passage selected for our meditation is the prologue or introduction to this letter. The entire letter elaborates on the central message of this prologue: that Christ is the sublime, natural, and eternal Son of God, the universal Mediator, and the eternal High Priest. It speaks of Christ’s mission to save humanity, a mission fitting for the Word who created all things.
By speaking to us through His Son, God reveals His saving will, beginning with the Incarnation. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Christ Jesus, entered the world to redeem us by His death on the cross, opening the way to heaven. In doing so, He completes and perfects God’s merciful revelation.
What does this passage teach us? The Letter to the Hebrews is very much an epistle of fulfillment. Its sacred writer reminds us that God’s final word is addressed to those of us who may be struggling to remain steadfast in our faith. Christ, who is born today, is the co-creator of the universe with the Father. We are called to welcome Him into our hearts as He lies in the stable, for He has come so that we may have life and have it abundantly.
Let us call on the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and give us the courage to proclaim Christ’s word, in season and out of season, whether we are heard or not. Amen.
Gospel acclamation: “Alleluia, alleluia. A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth. Alleluia.”
Gospel: Saint 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 into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he 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 into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Comment
Today, we celebrate the birth of Christ, the child. God, our Father, invites us to this great feast, for as the angel told the shepherds, “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Lord” (Lk 2:11). He is Emmanuel—God with us.
Christmas is a day of boundless joy because, as Saint John tells us in the Gospel for this day, God’s Word has been made flesh and dwells among us. The day foretold by the prophets centuries ago has finally come. The Saviour is born into the world. The shepherds, overwhelmed by the good news of Christ’s birth, become the first evangelists to proclaim his arrival to others.
We too have reason to rejoice, for God is with us. He has fulfilled His promise by giving us a Saviour, Christ Jesus. In his beautiful book Living the Word, Father Antony Kolencherry highlights Christmas as a celebration of community and family. He emphasizes that one of the most remarkable features of Christmas is its family-centered nature.
Christmas brings us together—friends, relatives, and the entire community of the faithful. Together, we experience the love and warmth of those dear to us. This breaks the monotony and alleviates feelings of loneliness. Christmas fosters a spirit of reconciliation, healing relationships that may have been hurt or strained over the years.
It allows the community to dwell in peace, happiness, and harmony as members greet one another, exchange gifts, and share good wishes—symbols of unity and belonging.
The joy of Christmas is beautifully explained in this verse from Saint John’s Gospel: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). Yes, Christ has taken on human nature to make us worthy to be called “children of God.” Saint John encapsulates God’s mission of salvation in these simple yet profound words. God the Father loved us so deeply that He sent His only begotten Son, born this day, to bring us salvation. Jesus is “the image of the unseen God” (Col. 1:15). God dwells among us, and through Him, everything is made, and in Him is life (Heb. 2:14).
What message should Christmas bring to us? First and foremost, it reminds us that a true Christian community is possible only when people live just and righteous lives, open to God’s work in their midst. It thrives where individuals share and help one another grow into mature Christians.
Christmas should be a time of reconciliation within our Christian communities and families. Is there genuine acceptance between husband and wife, parents and children, and members of the same community? Do we put aside destructive gossip, “kongossa,” and interact as true children of God? Can we accept even those who openly hate or ignore us? God accepts them as His children, and so should we.
Christmas is a festival of love that embraces families and entire communities. It is a celebration of God’s love, demonstrated through His call to love one another, even those who do not care about us, and to pray for those who hate us. As Jesus reminds us, whatever we do to the least of His brothers, we do to Him.
This holy season encourages us to be open to all, just as God is open to us. It calls us to go beyond ourselves, reaching out to the needy, the poor, and the hungry, because God identifies with them. If we fail to do so, we become like those in Bethlehem who did not open their doors to Joseph and Mary. Our homes, however beautiful, our churches, however grand, and our celebrations, however solemn, will be empty without Christ, the incarnation of love.
Jesus is already here, knocking at the doors of our hearts, minds, and souls. Do we hear Him? Will we let Him in?
Let us pray: “God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of Your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to Your Word, that we may bring Your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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