Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
- Vigil Mass
Lectionary: 13
Lectionary: 13
For Zion's sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
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.
for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
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.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 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.
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.
Reading 2 Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,
he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
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 to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
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.'"
he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
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 to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
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.'"
Gospel Mt 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.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
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 David
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.
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.
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.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
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 David
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.
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.
Or Mt 1:18-25
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.
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.
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "He will save his people from their
sins"
How
well do you know your spiritual heritage? Genealogies are very important.
They give us our roots and help us to understand our heritage. Matthew's
genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from Abraham, the father of God's chosen
people, through the line of David, King of Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the
direct descent of Abraham and David, and the rightful heir to David's throne.
God in his mercy fulfilled his promises to Abraham and to David that he would
send a Savior and a King to rule over the house of Israel and to deliver them
from their enemies. When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold that Judah would
receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Genesis
49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God's
fulfillment in raising up his annointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the
fulfillment of all God's promises. He is the hope not only for the people of
the Old Covenant but for all nations as well. He is the Savior of the world. In
him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and
daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do you recognize your spiritual
genealogy and do you accept God as your Father and Jesus as the sovereign King
and Lord of your life?
Do you believe that God will fulfill every
promise he has made? The prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke words of hope in a
hopeless situation for Israel. The Davidic dynasty was corrupt and unfit for a
Messianic King. Apostates like King Ahaz (2 Kings 16) and weaklings like
Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38) had occupied the throne of David. How could God be
faithful to his promise to raise up a righteous King who would rule forever
over the house of David? God's love for his people and his promise to restore
them to his peace and unity is likened to the joy and bliss of the bride and
bridegroom on their wedding day (Isaiah 62:5). We begin to see the fulfillment
of that prophecy when the angel announces the coming of the Messiah to the
virgin Mary and to her espoused husband, Joseph (Matthew 1:18-23).
When Mary was chosen by God to be the
mother of the Messiah she had to face an enormous challenge to her faith and
trust in God and to the faith of her family, as well as the faith of Joseph,
the man she had choses to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous
responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born
without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to
the laws of nature.That required faith and trust in God and in his promises.
Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not
tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an
engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk.
She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people.
Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation
from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did
not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary, when he discovered
that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to
be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter
to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger.
God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine
assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to
assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in
Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his
wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary,
Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of
God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of
God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like
insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only
begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the
feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and
hope in God and in his redeeming work.
"Lord
Jesus, you came to save us from sin and the power of death. May I always
rejoice in your salvation and trust in your plan for my life".
www.dailyscripture.net
THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS
The Christmas season immediately follows Advent. The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas begins with Christmas Eve on the evening of December 24 and continues until the feast of Epiphany. The actual Christmas season continues until the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, which in the present form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on the Sunday after 6 January. Epiphany commemorates the recognition of Jesus as the Son of God by the three Wise Men (and by all nations). The season of Christmas ends on the Monday after the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, which signifies the purification of the world, through Christ himself.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
December 24
Christmas at Greccio
Christmas at Greccio
What better way to prepare for the
arrival of the Christ Child than to take a brief journey to Greccio, the spot
in central Italy where St. Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib
in the year 1223.
Francis,
recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the
manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would
find a baby (we’re not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a
baby), hay upon which to lay him, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger.
Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time they arrived
carrying torches and candles.
One of the
friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer,
Thomas of Celano, recalls that Francis “stood before the manger…overcome with
love and filled with a wonderful happiness…/” For Francis, the simple
celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant,
a savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus.
Tonight, as we
pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes, we welcome into our hearts that
same Savior.
Comment:
God’s choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.
God’s choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.
www.americancatholic.org
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