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Nativity of the Lord Mass Readings
Christmas Vigil Mass
Christmas Mass During the Night
Christmas Mass at Dawn
Christmas Mass During the Day
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122520.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/
Merry Christmas! There are different sets of readings for each of the different masses any of us might attend at Christmas. I’ve included links to the USCCB website which will give you the specific readings for the specific mass you select. In the notes to this podcast where I normally provide a bibliography, I’ve included all the New Testament scripture commentaries which cover all the options for the Christmas readings. Of course, you will always find a link to the catechism and topics from the catechism which give some insight into the Mass readings. I do not always incorporate information from the commentaries or the catechism in my homily, but I want to make these resources available in case you would like to dig a little deeper into the readings.
The year 2020 has been a most interesting year – definitely one we’ll be talking about for years to come! Whether you can get to Mass or watch it online, we join our brother and sister Christians around the world who pause to gaze on the nativity today. The question is, what do you see when you gaze upon the nativity?
Do we only see the presents and the food and family and friends, either in-person or via some face-to-face communication technology? Unfortunately, some of our families and friends can’t see past the niceties. It’s important for us to be aware of our families and friends who are not true believers. A recent Pew report suggests that the “nones” or unaffiliated may be the fastest-growing denomination in the United States. <1>
Indeed, Sherry Weddell, the co-founder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, offers a disturbing observation based on informal surveys of pastors at Making Disciples seminars. Parish leaders told Weddell that they believe as few as five percent of all parishioners are intentional disciples. <2>
For some of these people, the darkness of isolation and the uncertainty around employment are a huge concern. Christmas for them represents a brief respite from their hectic lives. These people like so many of us confront the big existential questions like “why am I here?” or “what’s my purpose?”.
We also know from past experience that this time of year presents serious mental health challenges for some people even before COVID. Perhaps this year compounds the stress some people feel. How can we help them?
You see, Christians know that our faith provides us answers to the “big questions.” We know that God’s greatest gift to us, Jesus Christ, redeemed the whole world! The Holy Spirit continues to make everything new in Christ. <3>
When we gaze on the nativity, we strive to see how the shepherds saw – awe and wonder. Or maybe we gaze on the image of the baby Jesus and try to feel what Mary and Joseph felt – pure love. My brothers and sisters, when we gaze on the nativity, I encourage you to see hope instead of despair; peace instead of conflict; light instead of darkness.
The pandemic provided so many of us a disturbing silence from self-isolation to the lockdown. But we Christians know that we can enter into that silence like we would a swimming pool and pray and meditate with the Church – especially during the Mass either in-person or online. <4> Jesus offers us the strength of God’s grace through the Sacraments so that we can go into the darkness of night and bring the light of Christmas to our families and friends and to all those who may be struggling, especially during this time of year. We can invite people to see the hope foretold by Isaiah and so beautifully described by our Gospel today.
Homework! I just have one simple thing to ask. At some point today, please sit down with family or friends, either in-person or online, and just be present to them. Don’t worry about the ham or the mess the children left when they unwrapped their gifts. Just be with family or friends. That’s one of the best ways we can share the love of Christ – the light of Christmas with the people we encounter.
Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!
Image Credit: Nativity. Dr. He Q. JPG file. License: Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 3.0 License. Source: http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46095.
Notes:
<1> “Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace: An update on America’s changing religious landscape,” Religion & Public Life, Pew Research Center, October 17, 2019, https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.
<2> Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012), 28.
<3> See Merton, Thomas and Hạnh Nhất. Contemplative Prayer. 1969. Reprint, New York: Image, 2014. chap. Introduction, Kindle: From death, life. From the abyss there comes, unaccountably, the mysterious gift of the Spirit sent by God to make all things new, to transform the created and redeemed world, and to re-establish all things in Christ.
<4> Ibid.
Bibliography/Further Reading:
1. Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2018. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. Hebrews. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2016. Kindle.
3. Kurz, William S. SJ. Acts of the Apostles. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013. Kindle.
4. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015. Kindle.
5. Merton, Thomas, and Hạnh Nhất. Contemplative Prayer. 1969. Reprint, New York: Image, 2014. Kindle.
6. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.
7. Montague, George T. SM. First and Second Timothy, Titus. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
8. Pew Research Center. “Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace: An update on America’s changing religious landscape.” Religion & Public Life. October 17, 2019. https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.
9. Weddell, Sherry A. Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012.
Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. God has said everything in his Word: 65, 102
2. The incarnate Christ worshipped by the angels: 333
3. The Christmas mystery: 437, 525-26
4. Jesus is the Son of David: 439, 496, 559, 2616
5. “Why did the Word become flesh?” 456-60, 566
6. The Incarnation: 461-63, 470-78
7. The Incarnation and images of Christ: 1159-62, 2131, 2502
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122520.cfm
Lectionary: 13,14,15,16
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) – At the Vigil Mass
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) – Mass During the Night
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) – Mass at Dawn
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) – Mass During the Day