Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

Reflections

• Vigil: On this night—and probably for a number of nights now—children have been dreaming about the gifts they will receive this Christmas. Many adults too, if we’re honest! Over two thousand years ago, Joseph did not anticipate dreaming of anything like that, but lo and behold in a dream he received a great gift: the knowledge that the child Mary was expecting was conceived through the Holy Spirit and would save God’s people from their sins. We ourselves don’t have to dream this dream, for we have already received God’s greatest gift: our Lord and Savior, God’s only Son. Indeed, as Isaiah wrote, God has truly rejoiced in us.


• Night: Alone among the evangelists, Luke wrote an account of the night Jesus was born. Thanks to a government decree, Mary and Joseph found themselves in an unfamiliar town at night, far from home, with nowhere decent to stay when the time came for Mary to give birth. Yet out of that darkness—a darkness akin to the exile Isaiah described, a darkness we may feel is present today in our world or in our lives—came a great light, indeed the light of the world. Isaiah’s prophecy, the angel’s proclamation, and the heavenly hosts’ praises are all fulfilled this night in “the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

• Dawn: The shepherds take center stage in this morning’s Gospel. They are the people who would be awake in the middle of the night in the first place. Moreover, they feel right at home in a stable, where they go to find the precious infant. In a way, they are the first to be called to follow him, and like the first disciples, they immediately drop their work and go. Let us imitate the shepherds, taking the opportunity to witness the wonders of the Lord, passing on God’s message of joy and salvation, and glorifying God by sharing all that we have seen with our eyes of faith.

• Day: John transports us back to a time before Jesus’ birth, in fact to a time before the first humans, to the time before the world was created. “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1 / John 1:1), all things—light and life and the whole human race—came to be through the Word. On this night we celebrate the Word becoming flesh, God’s Son coming to dwell among us. But this did not end when Jesus ascended to the Father, for Christ is still enfleshed in our brothers and sisters, in neighbors and strangers, in friends and enemies, and, yes, in ourselves as well. With eyes of faith and hearts filled with joy, let us behold today the saving power of God.

Question of the Week

Day: Can I take the time to see Christ made flesh in myself and those I meet? How does it affect my behavior?

-from Pastoral Patterns

LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, December 25, 2023

SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, December 25, 2023

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