27th December – Feast of St John

A reading from the first letter of saint John (1:1-4)

What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our own eyes,
what we have watched
and touched with our own hands,
about the Word of life,
this is our theme.
This life was revealed;
we have seen it and give testimony,
and declare to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was revealed to us.
We are declaring to you
what we have seen and heard,
so that you too may share our life.
Our life is shared with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
We are writing this to you so that our joy may be complete.

The feast of St John gently reintroduces us to the Christmas theme. The opening verses of the first letter of John reflect the first verses of the Gospel of John. Both documents speak of the ‘Word’ (logos) that was from the ‘beginning’ (arche). The first letter of John is a meditative homily which serves as a backdrop to the whole of the season of Christmas. The ‘Word of life’ (zoe) has been revealed (phaneroun), and has been heard, seen, watched  and touched. This Word, ‘which was with the Father’, is now proclaimed and creates ‘community’ (koinonia) with the Father and with the Son. This is surely the deepest sense of Christmas, and it gives rise to ‘joy’ (chara).

Psalm 97 (96) All peoples have seen the glory of the Lord of all the earth, which brings light and joy .

A reading from the holy gospel according to John (20:2-8)

On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put him.’

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. The two ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but did not go in. Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying there and also the cloth that had been on his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.

Mary of Magdala has brought the message of the empty tomb, but the focus of today’s gospel reading is on Peter and ‘the disciple Jesus loved’, traditionally understood to be the apostle John. At the supper this disciple had been the one reclining next to Jesus (13:23). The one driven by love runs faster and reaches the tomb first. He ‘sees’ (blepei) the linen cloths but does not enter. Apparently acknowledging the leadership of Peter, the beloved disciple allows Peter to enter first into the tomb where Jesus had been laid.  Peter ‘sees’ (theorei) the burial cloths, and notes them in detail. The beloved disciple, by contrast, driven by love, ‘saw’ (eiden) and also believed (pisteuein). It is difficult to reflect the variety of Greek words involved in the different stages of ‘seeing’. When the eyes of love see, they are drawn to faith.

What does the beloved disciple teach us?

Seeing is a stage on the way.

26th December – Feast of St Stephen

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (6:8-10; 7:54-60)

Stephen, filled with grace and power, began to work great wonders and signs among the people. Then certain people from the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and from Cyrene and Alexandria, and others from Cilicia and Asia, came forward to debate with Stephen, but they could not stand up against him because of his wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this they were infuriated and ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, ‘Look! I see heaven thrown open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.’ They cried out in a loud voice and stopped their ears with their hands; then they made a concerted rush at him, thrust him out of the city and began to stone him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And with these words he fell asleep.

The celebration of the feast of the first Christian martyr stands in striking contrast to the feast of Christmas. And yet, the Messiah came not for glory but for self-giving. This reading is taken from two chapters of Acts, and the long speech of Stephen to his opponents is omitted. Stephen is full of ‘grace’ (charis) and ‘power’ (dunamis), and works both ‘wonders’ (terata) and ‘signs’ (semeia) for the people. The impact attracts opposition, particularly from Hellenist Jews from various locations, living in Jerusalem. Stephen’s very name shows he too was a Hellenist, and he was the first listed among those chosen to serve at tables (6:5). They cannot resist his ‘wisdom’ (sophia) and his ‘spirit’ (pneuma). They are incensed at the fierce tone of his speech (7:1-53). The story of Stephen is modelled by the evangelist on Christ’s passion and death. He has a vision of the glory of God and of Jesus at God’s right hand (see Luke 22:69). As they stone him, Stephen offers his life with the words: ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ (see Luke 23:46) He prays: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ (see Luke 23:34) This first martyr witnesses to his Lord not by words alone. Saul stands by. More general persecution will be the aftermath of the stoning of Stephen (8:1).

Psalm 31 (30) The psalm contains repeated words of trust in God.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew (10:17-22)

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be prepared for people to hand you over to assemblies and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to the gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.

‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will come forward against their parents and have them put to death. You will be universally hated on account of my name; but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.’

Even in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had spoken of persecution in the cause of righteousness (5:10). In the discourse on mission, the second of the five great speeches of Jesus presented by the evangelist Matthew, Jesus speaks more fully about the coming persecution, emphasizing that the ‘witness’ (marturion) will be given not only before Jews but also for the nations. The theme will recur in the final discourse of Jesus concerning the future and the end (24:9).The Spirit of the Father will inspire what the disciples should say in their defence. Jesus himself, when he was interrogated, either remained silent or simply spoke the truth. Betrayal will even come from a person’s own family. Hatred will be universal. But anyone who ‘stands firm’ (hupomenein) to the end will attain salvation. Stephen, the first martyr, gives a fine example.

How can the Christmas feast give courage to those suffering the violence of persecution?

The words of Jesus in the gospel are fulfilled in the life of Stephen.

Sunday in the Christmas Octave – Feast of the Holy Family – Year C

A reading from the first book of Samuel (1:20-22, 24-28)

Hannah conceived and, in due course, gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, because ‘I asked for him from the Lord.’ The man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow. But Hannah did not go, for she had said to her husband, ‘As soon as the child has been weaned I shall bring him and he will appear before the Lord and stay there for ever.’

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, as well as a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and took him into the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; the child was very young. They sacrificed the bull and led the child to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you here, praying to the Lord. This is the child for which I was praying, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. Now I make him over to the Lord. For the whole of his life he is made over to the Lord.’ Then they worshipped the Lord there.

Elkanah had two wives. Peninah had children, but Hannah had none, and was mocked by Peninah. Having waited so long for an answer to her prayer, finally Hannah conceives and Samuel is born. It is extraordinary that Hannah is ready to offer her ‘very young’ child to the Lord for ever. In her gratitude she considers the gift received as a gift to be given back to the Lord. She leaves him with the priest Eli at Shiloh so that he can serve the Lord ‘for the whole of his life’. It is as if she knows that the Lord has a mission for this longed-for son, who will be the final judge of Israel and anoint both Saul and David as kings.

Psalm 84 (83) proclaims the happiness of those who dwell in the Lord’s house.

A reading from the first letter of saint John (3:1-2, 21-24)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us
by letting us be called God’s children,
and that is what we are!
The reason why the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
My dear friends, we are already God’s children,
but what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We know that when he appears
we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
My dear friends,
if our own hearts do not condemn us,
we can be fearless before God,
and whatever we ask
we shall receive from him,
because we keep his commandments
and do what is pleasing to him.
His commandment is this,
that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we should love one another
as he commanded us.
Whoever keeps his commandments
abides in God, and God in that person.
And by this we know that he abides in us,
by the Spirit that he has given us.

The reading brings together two short sections from the third chapter of the first letter of St John, which consider our identity as ‘children of God’, and how we should follow his commandments. John addresses Christians as ‘my dear friends’, or literally ‘beloved’ (agapetoi). Those who believe in Christ are children of God, with the hope of being ‘like God’, and seeing God as God really is. In the final verses of the chapter, introduced again by ‘my dear friends’ (agapetoi), it is asserted that we can be ‘fearless’ in the presence of God, asking whatever we wish, because we are members of the family of God and keepers of God’s commandments. John explains that the commandment is that we believe ‘in the name of his Son Jesus Christ’, and that we love one another. This means that we ‘abide’ (menein) in God, and God in us. We know this to be true because we have received the Spirit.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (2:41-52)

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival as usual. When the days of the festival were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was in the party, and after a day’s journey they started looking for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they could not find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

It happened that, after three days, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. When they saw him they were overcome, and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? See, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously.’ He replied, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in divine and human favour.

This gospel story is unique in that it is the only account relating to the ‘hidden life’ of Jesus. The parents of Jesus are once again portrayed as faithful in their observance of Jewish law, going up with the twelve-year old Jesus on the Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem, just as Elkanah went year by year to the sanctuary of Shiloh. The young Samuel had been deliberately left with Eli, while this story tells, in a way which parents will recognise, that they ‘lose’ Jesus, who stays behind in the temple. The story suggests that the young Jesus had a consciousness that he should be ‘in his Father’s house’, or involved ‘in the things of his Father’. The parents are unable to understand what he means, but, for a second time (2:19), it is stated that Mary pondered ‘all these things’ (pemata) in her heart. This is also the occasion for the evangelist to point to the human growth of Jesus ‘in wisdom, in stature, and in divine and human favour’. In reference to John the Baptist the evangelist had spoken of growth ‘in spirit’ (1:80).

What do these readings teach about the proper attitude of parents to their children?

Jesus was like us in all things but sin, and needed to learn and grow.

Sunday in the Christmas Octave – Feast of the Holy Family – Year B

A reading from the book of Genesis (15:1-6; 21:1-3)

Some time later, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

‘Do not be afraid, Abram!
I am a shield to you,
and will give you a very great reward.’

Abram replied, ‘Lord God, what are you giving to me? I go my way childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus.’ Abram continued, ‘Look, you have given me no offspring, and see, a member of my household will be my heir.’ Then the Lord’s word came to him saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; no, the issue of your own body shall be your heir.’ Then taking him outside, he said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be,’ he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord and this was reckoned to him as righteousness.

The Lord treated Sarah as he had said, and did what he had promised her. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time God had promised. Abraham named the son born to him Isaac, the son to whom Sarah had given birth.

These two separate short passages from the book of Genesis tell of the promise made to Abram by God, and of the fulfilment of that promise when Sarah gives birth to Isaac. God is described as the ‘shield’ of Abram. God has already promised him descendants ‘like the dust on the ground’ (13:16). Now they are to be ‘like the stars’. Abram ‘put his faith’ (’aman) in the Lord. The long night of waiting comes to an end with the fulfilment of God’s promise. The text stresses that this child was born to Abraham, whose name has been changed,  ‘in his old age’. Abraham is one hundred years old (21:5). It is also emphasised that the elderly Sarah, who had laughed at the very thought of becoming a mother (18:12), is indeed the mother of Isaac, whose name means ‘he laughs’.

Psalm 105 (104) The psalm praises the fidelity of God, who remembers for ever the covenant made to Abraham.

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews (11:8,11-12,17-19)

In faith Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a place which he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out without knowing where he was going.

In faith Sarah also, in spite of being barren and beyond the age of conception, was made able to receive the seed to bear a child, because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful. Because of this, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore which cannot be counted.

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. Although he was waiting to receive the promise he was prepared to sacrifice his only son, of whom he had been told: through Isaac will your name be carried on. He reckoned that God had the power even to raise the dead, and from there, figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back.

These verses from the letter to the Hebrews focus on the faith of Abraham and of Sarah. Abraham, through his faith, as repeatedly affirmed in the book of Genesis, is to receive both a land and numerous descendants. He trusts God to lead him to a new land. He trusts God who promises children as many ‘as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore’. His trust in God will also involve trial, but God strengthens him to be ready to sacrifice the son of the promise, knowing that God had ‘the power to raise the dead’.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (2:22-40)

And when the days were complete for them to be purified in keeping with the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – as it is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male shall be called holy to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a righteous and devout man, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came into the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, Simeon himself took him into his arms and blessed God and said:

Now, Master, you are letting your servant
go in peace according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
which you have made ready in the presence of all nations;
a light for revelation to the gentiles
and for the glory of your people Israel.

As the child’s father and mother were wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed – and a sword will pierce your soul too – so that the thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

There was a prophetess, too, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple, worshipping night and day with fasting and prayer. She came up just at that moment and began to praise God; and to speak about the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

When they had completed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s favour was on him.

Two prophets, Simeon and Anna, welcome the child in the temple of the Lord. Simeon, who has longed for this day, knows that this child is ‘a light (phos) for the gentiles’ and ‘the glory (doxa) of his people’, so that he is now ready to be ‘let go in peace’. The widow Anna will continue to speak about the child to all who await ‘the deliverance’ (lutrosis) of Jerusalem. Their faith reflects that of Sarah and Abraham, for they are willing to wait long for God’s fulfilment. Mary and Joseph comply with the practices of faith by bringing the child as an offering to God, and Mary is warned of the sword of suffering which will come to her. As Abraham faced the trial of offering his son to God, so Mary and Joseph are ready to follow the paths God will show them.

How are Mary and Joseph examples of faith to inspire us?

Families are nurtured by joy to face the trials ahead.

Sunday in the Christmas Octave – Feast of the Holy Family – Year A

A reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus (3:2-6, 12-14)

The Lord honours the father above his children 
and upholds the rights of a mother over her children.
Whoever respects a father atones for sins,
whoever honours a mother is like someone amassing a fortune.
Whoever respects a father will have joy in children
and will be heard at the time of prayer.
Long life comes to anyone who honours a father;
whoever obeys the Lord makes a mother happy.
My child, support your father in his old age,
do not grieve him as long as he lives.
Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy;
in your full strength do not dishonour him;
for kindness to a father will not be forgotten
but will serve as reparation for your sins.

The wisdom of Ben Sira, contained in the book of Ecclesiasticus, presents a wealth of moral teaching. The material in this reading might be seen as a commentary on the commandment: ‘Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.’ (Exodus 20:12) Ben Sira spells out some consequences of fidelity to this commandment. In particular honour paid to a father leads to ‘long life’. The consideration to be shown to an elderly father, and the invitation to ‘sympathy’ if ‘his mind should fail’ are ever relevant.

Psalm 128 (127) The psalm lists the blessings of family.

A reading from the letter of saint Paul to the Colossians (3:12-21)

As the chosen of God, then, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you do the same. Over all these, put on love, the bond of perfection. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. Always be grateful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Teach and advise one another in all wisdom. With gratitude sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God in your hearts; and whatever you say or do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be sharp with them. Children, be obedient to your parents always, for that is pleasing to the Lord. Parents, do not provoke your children so that they do not lose heart.

Awareness of being ‘chosen’ and being ‘forgiven’ is strong motivation for Christian conduct. The various virtues listed are compared to clothing, and over all these the Christian should ‘put on love’ (agape), which is described as ‘the bond of perfection’. General exhortations that ‘the peace of Christ’ should ‘reign in your hearts’ and that ‘the word of Christ’ should ‘dwell in you richly’ are followed by invitations to gratitude. The passage concludes with specific advice to ‘wives’, ‘husbands’, ‘children’ and ‘parents’, and the contemporary convention that wives should ‘be subject’ to husbands is not challenged.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew (2:13-15, 19-23)

After the  wise men had left, see, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother, flee into Egypt and stay there until I tell you, for Herod intends to search for the child to destroy him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother by night, left for Egypt and stayed there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

I called my son out of Egypt.

When Herod had died, see, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother, went to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus was king of Judaea in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there, and, being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophets should be fulfilled:

‘He will be called a Nazarene’.

The scenes narrated in Matthew’s infancy stories all have Joseph as the principal character. The two scenes which make up this gospel reading are each concluded with a fulfilment citation, one from the prophet Hosea, and the second, ‘He will be called a Nazarene’, of uncertain origin. Once again Joseph is the receiver of a divine message brought by an angel, firstly to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s massacre of the children, and then, eventually, to return from there. The report of the actual massacre is reserved for the feast of the Holy Innocents. The story here, on the one hand, has Jesus relive the experience of Israel, of descent into Egypt and exodus from there, and, on the other, shows the family living the millennial experience of refugees, as the most vulnerable people are driven from their homes by the threat of violence. The Son of God quickly becomes a victim of oppression and injustice.

What is the purpose of the fulfilment citations in Matthew?

Consider the present significance of the story of the flight into Egypt.

Christmas Day Mass

A reading from the prophet Isaiah (52:7-10)

How lovely on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger announcing peace,
of the messenger of good news, proclaiming salvation
and saying to Zion, ‘Your God is king!’
Your watchmen raise their voices,
shouting for joy together,
for with their own eyes
they have seen the Lord returning to Zion.
Break into shouts of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has had mercy on his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all nations,
and all the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God.

This poem takes up the themes with which the second Isaiah began in chapter 40. A messenger brings to Sion news of peace (shalom), good news of salvation (tob), declaring the reign of God. Watchmen witness the return of the Lord to Sion. The words of comfort with which this prophet began to speak are reiterated: ‘the Lord has comforted (naham) his people’ (40:1) and ‘redeemed Jerusalem’. Exile is at an end, and all nations, the ‘ends of the earth’, have ‘seen the salvation of our God’.

Psalm 98 (97) Like the prophet, this psalmist speaks of the ‘holy arm’ of God bringing salvation to the nations.

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews (1:1-6)

In many ways and by many means in the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Now that he has made purification for sins, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So he is now far above the angels, as the name which he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels has God ever said:

You are my Son, today I have fathered you,

or:

I shall be as a father to him and he as a son to me?

Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says:

Let all the angels of God worship him.

In the coming of the Messiah God speaks a new word to the world. God has spoken in many and various ways through the prophets, but now God speaks through the Son, ‘heir’ of all things, and creator of all. The Son is the ‘reflection’ (apaugasma) of God’s glory, and ‘imprint’ (charakter) of God’s very being. He comes to ‘make purification for sin’. The Letter to the Hebrews will develop this thought by speaking of the sacrifice made ‘once and for all’ (ephapax) (7:27) by Christ, the ‘high priest’ (2:17) of the new covenant. The incarnate Son, originating above the angels, lowers himself even to death, and is then exalted ‘far above the angels’.

The beginning of the holy gospel according to 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 into being,
not one thing came into being except through him.
What has come into being in him was life,
life that was the light of all people;
and light shines in darkness,
and darkness could not overpower it.

There was a man sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
to bear witness to the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
he was to bear witness to the light.

The true light
that gives light to everyone
was coming into the world.
He was in the world
and the world came into being through him,
and the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own
and his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believed in his name,
who were born not from blood,
or from the will of the flesh,
or from human will
but from God himself.
The Word became flesh,
and lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of an only-begotten Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.

John witnesses to him and cried out, saying,
‘This is the one of whom I said:
He who comes after me
has passed ahead of me
because he was before me.’
Indeed, from his fullness
we have all received,
grace upon grace,
for the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only-begotten Son,
who is close to the Father’s heart,
who has made him known.

The opening verses of the Fourth Gospel speak of the incarnation of the Word, inviting us to penetrate to the fundamental truth of the Christmas mystery. John deliberately begins his gospel with the words ‘in the beginning’ (en arche), echoing the book of Genesis, for this is a new beginning for creation. The Word (logos), who was with God in the beginning and through whom everything was made, is the light (phos) coming into the world. The Baptist bears witness. While there are those who do not accept him, those who believe in his name are reborn. The Word ‘became flesh’ (sarx), and lived among us so that we could see his ‘glory’ (doxa), which is full of ‘grace’ (charis) and ‘truth’ (aletheia). He brings ‘grace upon grace’. He makes the invisible God known (exegeisthai).

How does Christological teaching connect with the birth in the manger?

The humanity of the Son of God is the culmination of the love of the Father.

Christmas Dawn Mass

A reading from the prophet Isaiah (62:11-12)

See, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
say to the daughter Zion,
‘See, your salvation is coming.
See, his reward is with him,
his achievement precedes him!’
They shall be called ‘the Holy People’, ‘the redeemed of the Lord’,
and you yourself shall be called ‘Sought-out’, ‘City-not-forsaken’.

The briefest of the Christmas readings is dominated by a triple initial ‘See!’ translated from the Hebrew hinneh, which is often rendered with the archaic ‘behold!’ The message, to be brought to the ‘end of the earth’, concerns ‘the daughter Zion’ who is told that ‘salvation’, deliverance, liberation (yesha‘), is close at hand. This is all we need to hear. The Lord’s ‘reward’ (40:10) is not booty or riches but his people, and, to confirm that what they are living is real, they will be renamed as ‘holy’, as ‘redeemed’ (ge’ullim). God has indeed ransomed them, for the exile is ended. They are ‘sought out’ and ‘not forsaken’. God’s eternal solidarity with suffering people is spelt out.

Psalm 97 (96) The psalm tells how light shines for the just one (tsaddiq), and for the ‘upright of heart’.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to Titus (3:4-7)

When the kindness and love of God our Saviour for humanity were revealed, not because of any works of righteousness we had ourselves done but in accordance with his own mercy, he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit which he generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour so that, justified by his grace, we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.

As in the reading from this letter read at the Mass in the Night (2:11), we hear of a revelation. This time the ‘kindness’ (chrestotes) and ‘love’, love of humanity, (philanthropia) of ‘God our Saviour’ are ‘revealed’ (epiphainein). It is stressed that this is not due to any works ‘of justice’ we have performed, but entirely a gift of the ‘mercy’ (eleos) of God. Our salvation comes through the ‘washing of rebirth’ (paliggenesia), our baptism, and through ‘renewal’ (anakainosis) in the Holy Spirit. We are thus ‘born again’ in the Spirit. The feast of Christmas reveals the trinitarian free gift of God through Christ ‘the Saviour’ in the Holy Spirit. We are ‘justified by the grace’ of God, becoming ‘heirs’ to the hope of eternal life.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (2:15-20)

Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what they had been told about this child, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

The shepherds readily comply with the instruction from the Lord given by the angel and go to witness this ‘event’ (pema). There is a simple acknowledgement of what they see: Mary and Joseph and the child in the manger. The focus of these verses is on the reactions of the shepherds and of Mary. While the shepherds ‘make known’ the word (pema) they have been told, so that everyone is astonished, Mary does not speak and simply ponders ‘all these things’ (pemata) in her heart. The shepherds’ witness continues as they return to their flocks ‘glorifying and praising God’. It is stressed that what they had seen was ‘just as they had been told’. Word and event coincide.

The role of the shepherds is to pass on the ‘good news’ brought to them.

The silence of Mary speaks louder than words.

Christmas Night Mass

A reading from the prophet Isaiah (9:1-6)

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light;
on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death,
light has blazed forth.
You have enlarged the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest time,
as they exult when they are dividing plunder.
For the yoke that weighed on them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
these you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear clanking over the ground
and all the clothing rolled in blood
will be burnt, will be food for the flames.
For a son has been born for us,
a son has been given to us
and dominion has been laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name he has been given,
‘Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace’.
His rule will be great and there will be no end of peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom,
secure and established in fair judgement and righteousness.
From this time onwards and for ever
the jealous love of the Lord Sabaoth will do this.

In the deepest darkness of night this messianic poem of the prophet Isaiah invites us to embrace the light of Christ. God has saved his people and brought them rejoicing. This is compared to the rejoicing of harvest time, and of sharing the spoils of war. Three specific reasons for rejoicing are then given: an end to oppression, an end to war, and the birth of a child. The context may well be the enduring Assyrian threat. The birth of the child signifies, as in Isaiah 7:14, that God’s solidarity continues, that ‘God is with us’. The names are such as are given at the coronation of a prince, and conclude with ‘Prince-of-Peace’. Such a list of titles is given to David in 2 Samuel 23, and the poem ends with the promise of an enduring kingdom, as had been made to David through Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 7).

Psalm 96 (95) contains an invitation to all peoples to sing a ‘new song’, which is enhanced by the rejoicing of all creation.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to Titus (2:11-14)

The grace of God our Saviour has been revealed to the whole human race, teaching us that, giving up impiety and all worldly passions, we should be self-restrained and live righteous and religious lives in this present world, waiting for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus. He offered himself for us in order to ransom us from all our faults and to purify a people to be his very own, eager to do good.

The letter to Titus speaks of the ‘revealing’ (epiphainein) of the ‘grace’ (charis) of God for the salvation of all. God invites ‘the whole human race’ to live ‘righteous and religious lives’. They should await the ‘blessed hope’ (he makaria elpis) , the ‘appearing’ (epiphaneia) of the ‘glory’ (doxa) ‘of our great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ’. The essence of Christ’s work is then resumed in that he ‘offered himself’ so as to ‘ransom’ (lytroun) and ‘purify’ (katharizein) a people to be his own. The free gift of grace encourages people to live lives full of good works.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (2:1-14)

Now it happened that at this time a decree came out from Caesar Augustus that a register should be made of the whole world. This registration – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her son, the first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the living-space. In that countryside there were shepherds living in the fields keeping the night watch over their flock. An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you good news of great joy for the whole people, that today a Saviour has been born to you in the town of David, who is Christ the Lord. And this is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among people of good will.’

That Joseph was descended from king David was announced in the account of the annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:27), and by the angel to Joseph ‘son of David’ in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:20). His davidic descent is affirmed again here with the statement that Mary and Joseph were forced to travel to Bethlehem by the ‘decree’ (dogma)  of the emperor Caesar Augustus, so that Joseph could be registered in David’s town. Luke thus relates the coming birth to the history of Israel and places it within the context of the Roman occupation of Palestine. The birth of the child is into straightened circumstances, so that the newborn is laid to rest in a manger (phatne), a feeding trough for animals. The first visitors to the newborn child are shepherds, a deprived and despised social group. To such people the ‘angel of the Lord’ brings ‘good news’ (euaggelizein) of the birth of the Messiah. Luke’s point that Jesus has come to ‘preach good news to the poor’ (Luke 4) is thus affirmed from the very beginning. Luke celebrates the birth of the Messiah with an angelic throng heralding peace on earth.

How realistic is this account of the birth of Jesus?

The one who is ‘son’ of God is born into deprivation and oppression.

Christmas Vigil Mass

A reading from the prophet Isaiah (62:1-5)

About Zion I will not be silent,
about Jerusalem I will not be quiet,
until saving justice comes forth for her like a dawning light
and her salvation burns up like a torch.
The nations will see your saving justice
and all kings your glory
and you will be called a new name
which the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendour
in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No more will you be known as ‘Forsaken’
or your land be termed ‘Desolate’;
but you will be called ‘My Delight is in her’
and your land ‘The Espoused’;
for the Lord will take delight in you
and your land shall be espoused.
Like a young man marrying a virgin,
your rebuilder shall wed you
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice in you.

The first reading of Christmas brings an explosion of joy and light. ‘Saving justice’ (tsedeq) in Jerusalem will be like the dawn, and ‘salvation’ (yeshu‘ah) like a torch. In post-exilic times it is still awaited, both by Israel and by the nations. New treasures will be awarded, a ‘crown of splendour’, a ‘royal diadem’, and new names will be bestowed, no longer ‘forsaken’, or ‘desolate’, but ‘my delight in her’ (hephtsi-bah) and ‘espoused’ (be‘ulah). The Lord delights in marriage to his bride, Jerusalem. God rejoicing in his people suggests the joy of the coming of the Messiah, who rejoices to be among the children of God.

Psalm 89 (88) People find their joy in the name of the Messiah, and adopt his ways of justice.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (13:16-17,22-25)

So Paul stood up, raised his hand for silence and began to speak:

‘Men of Israel, and God-fearers, listen! The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted our people during their stay in Egypt, and with uplifted arm led them out from there. He raised up David as a king for them, whom he attested in these words, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will.” From this man’s posterity, according to his promise, he brought to Israel a saviour, Jesus, whose coming was heralded by John, proclaiming a baptism of repentance to the whole people of Israel. As John was finishing his course he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not he. Look! One is coming after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to undo.”’

During his first missionary journey Paul is invited to speak in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia. Paul and Barnabas have been asked for a ‘word of consolation’, and they announce the good news. The reading offers some early verses of Paul’s long speech, which reaches its climax with the Christian kerygma of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the verses read at this Christmas Mass Paul proclaims that from David’s ‘posterity’ (sperma), and ‘according to the promise’ (epaggelia), a saviour has been born, and that John the Baptist proclaimed ‘a baptism of repentance’, and pointed to the ‘one who is coming after me’.

The beginning of the holy gospel according to Matthew (1:1-25)

Roll of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse;
and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon,
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation, and from the Babylonian deportation to the Messiah fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus the Messiah happened like this. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to disgrace, decided to dismiss her quietly. He had this in mind when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

Look, the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,

which means ‘God-is-with-us’. When Joseph woke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took her as his wife. He had not had intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Matthew carefully begins his gospel by placing ‘Jesus, who is called the Messiah’ at the climax of the generations descended from Abraham and David. Three sets of fourteen generations amount to six ‘sevens’, and the ‘seventh seven’, the time of fulfilment, will be the new time brought by Christ. Having completed the genealogy, the evangelist tells us ‘how’ Jesus the Messiah came to be born. The focus is on Joseph and his willingness to care for the child and his mother, and his crucial role in naming him ‘Jesus’, the one who is to ‘save’ his people. It is through Joseph that the Davidic heritage of Jesus is established. Matthew demonstrates the fulfilment in these events by quoting from the prophet Isaiah, the first of a multitude of quotations from the scriptures in his gospel.

Do I have the imagination to accept that God’s plans are different?

Both Mary and Joseph were ready for the unexpected.