Nativity of the Lord or Christmas, During the Day 2023

Title

Your King is God

Outline

Your God is King, says Isaiah

We might say, You God rules. But another way of putting it is to say that your King is not just a descendant of David, but God almighty. And that is indeed goods news, the good news of our Epistle and Gospel. At least that is good news unless one is an independence minded American, for the eventual vote about Jesus would be, “We have no king but Caesar,” and our passages do not give us a vote, only an opportunity to fall down in worshipful homage.

Hebrews puts it in grand rhetoric:

“In these last days, [God] spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe [or, “the ages”].” What is more, he has the same glory or status as God and the same nature. And he, even as a baby in the manger, “upholds the universe by his word of power.” But then comes the contrast, for he is not only king but priest, “When he had made purification for sins” is when he took his place of authority in the heavenly courts, “at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” He was priest, but also victim, and the “We have not king but Caesar” that led to his execution was a self-offering, because he was Lord of all, and would be celebrated in the heavenly courts as the salvation God had promised.

John puts it in poetry

“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.”

Do you hear what Hebrews said in this praise poetry?

But John goes further,

for after describing how the unseen Word was in the world and even his own people did not, as a whole, receive him (there were notable exceptions), John writes,

“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.”

There in a manger, wrapped up as infants are, was this Word become flesh and for those with eyes to see “we saw his glory” which was the Father’s glory. But where we see it in John is in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The cross is the ladder glory and the manger is the big step down towards the cross.

Brothers and Sisters, this is the full Christmas story

People today want either just the baby in the manger, a Jesus who is only human, a great teacher, perhaps, with a tragic end, or they want a spiritual guru, perhaps divine who only appeared to be human, who is not in touch with the dirty earth.

Our texts (and the other accounts) insist on both: that baby is unimaginably high and powerful, God himself not joined to flesh, so his body and blood in a monstrance, under the inspiration of the Spirit, can scatter powerful waring forces.

And they insist that our God has become so human that he can become both priest and victim, accomplishing purification of sins, so St Francis who came up with the idea of the creche sees in it his own embrace of the cross.

The question for us is whether we will recognize both as well, whether we will embrace the baby Jesus in the manger as our Lord and God, willingly laying our lives before him, and whether we will recognize that while Lord of the universe he would lay down that life for us to purify us from sins and so make it possible to join him in glory?

Will we hear both St Francis and St Clare, following Jesus in the way of the cross and embracing his presence in the sacrament as our Lord and God who directs, not only the world, but our life

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 12-25-2023: Nativity of the Lord or Christmas

FIRST READING

Isaiah 52:7–10

7 How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the one bringing good news,

Announcing peace, bearing good news,

announcing salvation, saying to Zion,

“Your God is King!”

8 Listen! Your sentinels raise a cry,

together they shout for joy,

For they see directly, before their eyes,

the LORD’s return to Zion.

9 Break out together in song,

O ruins of Jerusalem!

For the LORD has comforted his people,

has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The LORD has bared his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations;

All the ends of the earth can see

the salvation of our God.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-25-2023: Nativity of the Lord or Christmas

RESPONSE

Psalm 98:3c

3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the victory of our God.

PSALM

Psalm 98:1–6

1 A psalm.

Sing a new song to the LORD,

for he has done marvelous deeds.

His right hand and holy arm

have won the victory.

2 The LORD has made his victory known;

has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,

3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the victory of our God.

4 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth;

break into song; sing praise.

5 Sing praise to the LORD with the lyre,

with the lyre and melodious song.

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn

shout with joy to the King, the LORD.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-25-2023: Nativity of the Lord or Christmas

SECOND READING

Hebrews 1:1–6

CHAPTER 1

1 In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; 2 in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,

3 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,

4 as far superior to the angels

as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 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”?

6 And again, when he leads the first-born into the world, he says:

“Let all the angels of God worship him.”

Catholic Daily Readings 12-25-2023: Nativity of the Lord or Christmas

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Text

GOSPEL

Option A

John 1:1–18

CHAPTER 1

1 In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be 4 through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

5 the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world,

and the world came to be through him,

but the world did not know him.

11 He came to what was his own,

but his own people did not accept him.

12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13  who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

14 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.

15 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.’ ” 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, 17 because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 12-25-2023: Nativity of the Lord or Christmas

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2023 | CHRISTMAS

NATIVITY OF THE LORD OR CHRISTMAS

DURING THE DAY

YEARS ABC | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

On the same date: Nativity of the Lord, Midnight; Nativity of the Lord, Dawn

First Reading Isaiah 52:7–10

Response Psalm 98:3c

Psalm Psalm 98:1–6

Second Reading Hebrews 1:1–6

Gospel Acclamation Text

Gospel John 1:1–18 or John 1:1–5, 9–14

“Dear friends,

Did you notice something different about St. Helen’s Nativity scene this year?

Both Saint Francis embracing Christ Crucified and Saint Clare holding up the Monstrance are present at the nativity. There are many reasons for their presence, but we list 3 essential reasons here:

(1) We join the Franciscans throughout the world celebrating the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi putting together the first Nativity scene in a cave in Greccio, Italy.

(2) We do not have a St. Francis statue holding doves but Christ Crucified. Perfect fit! We are remembering that Jesus came to the world to “bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.” (Isaiah 61:1-2). He accomplished his mission by

ultimately dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His resurrection defeats death and gives us hope for the eternal life!

We are called to repent and to die to ourselves. St. Peter said, “what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion” (2 Peter 3:11b-12).

(3) Saint Clare sought the Lord when the enemies were about to attack her convent. She was inspired to go to war, not by sword but by the power of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and so she held up the monstrance with Jesus in the Eucharist to fend off the enemies. The Lord won!

The Eucharist is Jesus who is all Mighty!

The Devil sees the Eucharist as He is!

Do we recognize Jesus in the Eucharist?

The sacrament is our first line of defense against evil, protecting our souls, our families, our communities, our Church, and the whole world.

Like Saint Clare, may we pray for the grace to allow Jesus enter into our hearts and to make him the center of our lives, our refuge, and our worship, thus making His powerful living presence to be known by others.

We hope to worship God with you this weekend and on Christmas Day at St. Helen!

* A different approach to having a Nativity scene, inspired by the Varican’s nativity scene, 2023, and Lorenzo Lotto’s famous oil painting - The Nativity, 1523.

Have a blessed Christmas,

Fr. Hai”