Introduction
The Advent season is closed, our anticipation is complete!
Today we celebrate the profound mystery of the Incarnation, wherein the Word of God humbled himself to embrace our humanity so that we might be enabled to share in his divinity.
Our Christmas celebration is marked by a series of four distinct liturgies that progress from anticipation to revelation, mirroring the unfolding of the Christmas story itself:
- The Christmas Vigil Mass serves as a precursor to the Midnight Mass. It is characterized by a sense of joyful anticipation, reflecting on the Old Testament prophecies foretelling the birth of the Messiah.
- The Midnight Mass marks a seamless transition from anticipation to jubilation as the Church proclaims the arrival of the Christ Child. It is often called the “Mass of the Angels,” for the heavenly multitude that appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of the Savior. Before the Mass, the Proclamation is sung, announcing the impending Incarnation and setting it in the context of history. The Gloria is also sung for the first time since the beginning of Advent, with fanfare and bells, joyfully recalling the first singing of that angelic anthem to the shepherds.
- The Mass at Dawn, commonly referred to as “The Shepherds’ Mass,” offers a unique perspective on the Christmas narrative, focusing on the initiative of God’s gift and the shepherds who were its first witnesses. Just as the shepherds went eagerly to the crib to adore the Lord and to receive his great gift of light, so we also go to the altar where the same Lord comes just as truly to us. The theme of light is prominent in this Mass, correlating with the natural light that is increasing during the celebration at dawn.
- The Mass during the Day further unfolds the theological significance of Christ’s birth, emphasizing themes of light, salvation, and the manifestation of God’s love. The gospel reading for this Mass is the famous prologue of the Gospel of John, which calls us to meditate on the identity of Christ and on our own new way of life in the Word made flesh.
Since the 18th century, scholars have debated whether early Christians strategically chose December 25th to celebrate Christmas as a way to counteract the influence of the pagan Roman festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Latin for “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun”), a festival in ancient Rome dedicated to the sun god Sol Invictus.
The festival, celebrated on December 25, was dedicated to honoring and celebrating the sun god’s perceived return to strength after the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen again. The annual victory over the darkness of winter was cause for rejoicing.
Christians, of course, see Jesus Christ as the source of light and hope in the world. He is one with the true God, who conquers the power of darkness.
Regardless of the calendar date, which is largely irrelevant, our celebration is centered on the cosmic event that occurred in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago: God has taken on flesh and become Emmanuel, “God with us.”
1st Reading – Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
Today’s first reading is the famous poem of the messenger of peace who brings good tidings. In a dramatic portrayal, God leads his people back from Babylon to Zion, from whose ruined walls watchmen shout for joy.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
The passage begins with a sketch of a messenger approaching from the mountains with a message of peace and salvation. The messenger’s feet are praised — a symbol of his speed and surefootedness when crossing the mountains, which is where important news comes from (Isaiah 40:9). His feet are beautiful because of the message of deliverance they carry.
The excitement of the scene is obvious by the repetition of the action: “bearing,” “announcing,” “saying.”
The three words “peace,” “good news,” and “salvation” represent the highest degree of happiness imaginable, especially to Israelites who have endured the hardships of exile.
“Your God is King!”
This is the core message of the passage. Zion had been desolate so long, waiting for a ray of hope, and now she is told her God is king.
Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD restoring Zion.
The first ones to see the runner are the sentinels who stand watch on the walls of the city. Those whose job it was to raise a warning of any threat now provoke unconfined joy.
In other translations, “the LORD restoring Zion” is rendered as “the return of the LORD to Zion.” The image is of a victorious king leading a procession of his men back to his city, having redeemed them from their captors.
Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem.
In a beautiful personification, the very ruins of the city are exhorted to break forth in song. No longer will they lie destitute, unable to stand with dignity, without the protection of honor. God comforts and redeems the people dwelling within them. The inhabitants are now a renewed people, and so the city itself is renewed. Peace is no longer a hoped-for dream, nor is salvation only a promise for the future. These are now accomplished facts for which to rejoice.
The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.
The credit for this restoration must go to the Lord, for he has “bared his holy arm,” a symbol of vigorous action and power, as in the time of the exodus (Isaiah 40:10, 51:9; Psalm 98:1). It is God who has effected the deliverance which the city now enjoys.
This serves to remind the people of the might of their protector while also alerting the other nations to the seriousness with which God defends his people. It is not enough that Zion is rescued; the other nations of the world must see and acknowledge this power. They must recognize both the scope of God’s power and the identity of the people who most benefit from it.
Just as the messenger heralds peace and salvation to Zion, so the deliverance of the city heralds the mighty power of God to the ends of the earth.
The prophet’s words take on a second layer of meaning when read in the context of our Christmas liturgy: The glad tidings being proclaimed becomes the good news of Jesus Christ, the God who is king is Jesus, and the redemption offered is redemption from sin.
Alleluia, thanks be to God!
2nd Reading – Hebrews 1:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
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,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
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?
And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him.
The exact audience, author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed. With the exception of John’s first letter, it is the only New Testament epistle that fails to mention the writer’s name in its greeting. However, the reference to Timothy in Hebrews 13:23 suggests connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants.
Regardless, the book of Hebrews is a treatise of great rhetorical power and force, in which Christians are admonished to faithful pilgrimage under the leadership of Christ.
Today’s reading is the introduction from the book of Hebrews, which is a confessional hymn that celebrates Christ as the agent of revelation, creation, and salvation. Like our gospel reading, it is filled with high christology — that is, it teaches about Jesus’ divine identity.
Brothers and sisters: In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets;
The passage begins by comparing the ways that God communicates with humankind. In the past, God spoke to the fathers of Israel through the prophets, but in disconnected and fragmented ways.
in these last days, he spoke to us through the Son,
In the present, God speaks a definitive word to the believers through his own son. Without disparaging the former way, it is clear that the author considers divine revelation through Christ as far superior to the earlier method.
The use of the phrase “in these last days” is indicative of the author’s perspective, together with primitive Christianity in general, that the Christ-event inaugurated the final age. This perspective is also shown in Hebrews 6:5 when he speaks of Christians as those who have experienced “the powers of the age to come.”
whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,
Christ enjoys a position of unrivaled privilege. He is the heir of all things and the agent through which the world was made. This assertion suggests not only preeminence but pre-existence: Christ existed before he appeared as man, and through him, God created the universe.
who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being,
This is a reinterpretation of the wisdom tradition, which held that it was through Wisdom that God created (Proverbs 8:22-31; Wisdom 9:9), and Wisdom is the pure emanation of the glory of God (Wisdom 7:25-26). In this tradition, the line between Wisdom as a creation of God and wisdom as an attribute of God is not always clear. This very ambiguity lends itself to a christological interpretation.
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
Not only is Christ the agent through which the world was made, he is also the agent through which it is sustained.
When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Attention is now turned from the cosmological role of the preexistent Son to the redemptive work of Jesus. After Jesus redeemed the human race, he took the place of greatest honor, at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1).
As is becoming clear, our Christmas celebration is not simply a celebration of Jesus’ birth many years ago, but a celebration of Jesus’ entire role in salvation history.
as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Having proven the pre-eminence of Christ over the prophets, the author now proceeds to show that Christ is also superior to the angels.
Angels are glorious beings. The scripture always represents them as the most excellent of all creatures, far more glorious and excellent than the best of men. In fact, before Christ, there was no known being that outranked the angels but God himself.
For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are my son; this day I have begotten you”?
The author then supports his statement by referring to a number of Old Testament texts that he applies to Jesus.
The first is Psalm 2:7, a royal psalm that originally celebrated the king of Judah. Here it may refer to Christ’s eternal existence, or to his resurrection, or to his ascension into heaven and position at the right hand of the Father. The point being made is that this was never said concerning the angels.
Or again: “I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me”?
Taken from 2 Samuel 7:14; this is part of the Lord’s promise to David that his heirs, the future kings of the Davidic line, would be secure.
And again, when he leads the first-born into the world,
“Firstborn into the world” is a high-christology title for Jesus (see Colossians 1:15).
This is reminiscent of Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth, in which Luke states that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son” (Luke 2:7). This often puzzles those who believe Mary did not have additional children since the word first-born might be taken to imply that she did. Luke’s description of Jesus as firstborn is a legal description indicating the privileges and obligations that came with that status (inheritance, pre-golden calf priesthood, etc. (see Genesis 27; Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:12-13)); it does not necessarily mean that Mary had other sons.
Scripture scholars suggest that Luke, like the authors of Colossians and Hebrews, is using the word first-born to refer to Jesus’ divinity.
he says: “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
An allusion to Deuteronomy 32:43 as it appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), calling on the angels to glorify God.
When Jesus was born into the world, at his nativity, the angels attended to and honored him. When he ascended into heaven, they again honored him. When he returns at the parousia, as judge of the world, the highest creatures will once again worship him.
The author continues beyond today’s reading with extended proofs. Suffice it to say that since Jesus is indeed the Son of God as well as the wisdom of God, it follows that he would be superior even to the angels. In light of some Jewish traditions which held that angels were mediators of the old covenant (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19), the author is likely also emphasizing the superiority of the new covenant over the old.
By applying these Old Testament texts to Jesus, the author of Hebrews is doing what we did with our first reading: He is finding an additional level of meaning in the scriptures in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Gospel – John 1:1-18
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;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but 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 believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
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.
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.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
The gospels of Matthew and Luke both present the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew meticulously traces Jesus’ ancestry from Abraham (1:1-17), while Luke extends the familial roots all the way back to Adam (3:23-37). Both evangelists complement these genealogies with poignant infancy narratives, forming the scriptural foundation for the Christmas Masses (Vigil, Midnight, and Dawn).
Today’s reading is the poetic prologue to John’s gospel, which has no infancy narrative. It describes Jesus’ divine, not human, origins — describing not a child conceived by Mary through the Holy Spirit, but of a preexistent Word that became flesh.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Gospel of John begins with one of the most profound christological statements in the entire New Testament. The first three words, “In the beginning,” create an unmistakable connection with Genesis 1:1, which may be John’s way of implying that the coming of the Word (Greek: Logos) into the world was as momentous an event as the first creation.
The Word is introduced as an eternal, divine entity that was present from the beginning, coexisting with God, yet also simultaneously being God Himself.
Saint John’s personal experience with Jesus, including his appearances after the Resurrection, undoubtedly shaped his comprehension of Christ’s divinity, which he expresses in his gospel as The Word of God.
“The following comparison may help us understand the notion of The Word: just as a person becoming conscious of himself forms an image of himself in his mind, in the same way God the Father on knowing himself begets the eternal Word” (The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, 546).
He was in the beginning with God.
Christ’s existence did not begin with his miraculous conception in Mary’s virginal womb. He existed in divine eternity as the Word, in intimate union with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
In other words, there never was a time when Christ, the second person of the Trinity, did not exist.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.
John goes on to describe how all of creation was caused by The Word. Note how he emphasizes his point by reiterating it in the negative.
This doesn’t mean that The Word was simply an instrument of God’s; he is active in the work of creation along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Here we can pause and contemplate how the four gospels, each written progressively more distant in time from Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, tells the good news of Jesus Christ in a larger context:
- Mark has no story of Jesus’ origins at all but begins with Jesus’ public ministry.
- Matthew, through the genealogy back to Abraham, puts the saving acts of Jesus Christ in the context of Jewish salvation history.
- Luke, through a genealogy that goes back to Adam, puts Jesus’ saving acts in the context of the whole human race.
- John’s picture is even bigger: John presents Jesus as the preexistent Word through whom all else that exists came into being.
What came to be through him was life,
Life is not mere existence; even inanimate things exist.
Life is a participation in the essence or existence of God.
and this life was the light of the human race;
In this context, “life” includes both the physical and spiritual life. The Word is the source of life and an illuminating light of reason that guides humanity.
Human life is greater and nobler than other forms of creation; it is rational, and not merely animal. When man became a living soul, created in the image and likeness of God, his life was light.
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Word is also the light of the human race because he brings them out of the darkness of sin and error. (See Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:15-16, Luke 1:79.)
This comparison between light and darkness is the first of many contrasts in John’s writings.
“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
A man named John was sent from God.
This figure is John the Baptist; the words that appear in this passage are later ascribed to him (John 1:15; 1:30).
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
John the Baptist was “sent from God” at this precise moment in history to bear direct witness to the Messiah.
Note how John is described exclusively in terms of his relationship with the Messiah (the light) that is to come into the world.
The brilliance of Christ’s divine light requires no external validation. It is humanity who needs John’s testimony to illuminate the truth so that they can overcome the darkness of sin and recognize the things of God.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The need for this distinction may have been motivated by the fact that the Baptist’s position had been misinterpreted by some (see Acts 19:1-7). John is neither a peer nor a rival of the Word.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
The Word is “the true light” because he is the original light from which every other light (i.e., revelation of God) derives.
The impending arrival of the Word into the world is a pivotal moment in history.
“If he enlightens every man who comes into the world, how is it that so many have remained unenlightened? For not all, to be sure, have recognized the high dignity of Christ. How, then, does he enlighten every man? As much as he is permitted to do so. But if some, deliberately closing the eyes of their minds, do not wish to receive the beams of this light, darkness is theirs. This is not because of the nature of the light, but is a result of the wickedness of men who deliberately deprive themselves of the gift of grace” (St John Chrysostom, Homily on St John, 8, 1).
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.
Despite being the Creator of the world, the world did not recognize or acknowledge the Word in its midst.
He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.
Other translations have “he came to his own home, and his own people received him not.”
This can be interpreted broadly as the Creator being rejected by all mankind, or it can be seen as a reference to Israel, who was God’s own above all other people.
As we know, the Israelites violently rejected Christ.
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,
Faith has transformative power: Those who receive and believe in the Word become children of God.
Jewish culture places significant emphasis on the sanctity of names; a person’s name is closely tied to their identity and character. Believing in God’s name is a recognition of God’s sacred character.
who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
John describes the spiritual nature of this transformation, this new birth as children of God. It is not a result of human lineage, physical desire, or human volition but is a divine birth, a spiritual rebirth through faith in the Word.
And the Word became flesh
John intends the word flesh to be shocking. Flesh is not evil, but it is transitory, mortal, imperfect. At first glance, this is incompatible with the transcendent God, the source of all life. This is the mystery of the incarnation, by which the Eternal Word took on our exact human nature, becoming one with us in everything but sin (Hebrews 4:15).
and made his dwelling among us,
Literally, “pitched his tent among us.” This calls to mind the tabernacle in the wilderness where God dwelt among the Israelites in the tent of meeting (Exodus 40:34), as well as the tradition about Wisdom establishing her tent in the midst of the people (Sirach 24:8).
The Word of God, who is also the holiness of God and the wisdom of God, now dwells in the midst of humankind. The Incarnate Word is the new mode of God’s presence among his people.
and we saw his glory,
The gospel writer is giving his own eyewitness testimony. He and the other apostles witnessed Christ’s glory (that is, his divinity) firsthand.
Just as the sun still emanates light behind a thick cloud cover, or behind an eclipse, so Christ was still gloriously divine after he took on human flesh.
the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
“Grace and truth” may represent the two Old Testament terms describing Yahweh in covenant relationship with Israel (Exodus 34:6); thus the Word shares Yahweh’s covenant qualities.
John has reached the climax of his introduction; he never again refers to Jesus as the Word.
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.’”
Now that John has spoken explicitly of the incarnation of the Word, he now presents the testimony of John the Baptist. He is the first in a series of witnesses who testify on behalf of the Christ-event.
In all four gospels, John the Baptist gives testimony to Jesus Christ by making it clear that one greater than he is coming. However, in John’s gospel, John the Baptist highlights Jesus’ preexistence.
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,
All humankind has been greatly enriched by this divine presence, transformed by the love that first prompted God’s revelation and Christ’s incarnation.
Charin anti charitos, “grace in place of grace,” is a phrase only used here. It has been interpreted in various ways, including an indication that the Old Covenant has been replaced with the New, which is consistent with the verse that follows. Regardless, each interpretation indicates the unsearchable riches of the grace of Christ.
We can understand it as grace for grace’s sake, one grace heaped upon another.
because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
This constitutes the final break of John’s thought with that of Judaism. The revelation of the Old Covenant (the law) was but a foreshadowing of what was to be fully revealed in the New Covenant, through Christ (grace and truth).
With this statement, John demonstrates the reason the almighty God took on lowly human flesh: to give us grace and truth.
No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.
Yet another gift from Christ: a clear revelation of God to us.
Jewish belief was firm in that the one true God was invisible and could not be seen by man. John may have been referring to Exodus 33:20-23 when Moses was not permitted to see the glory of God, since no one may see God and live.
However, the coming of Christ has changed everything. Now, through the Incarnation, we have an intimate knowledge of God and an acquaintance with him. This is the grace and truth referred to in the previous verse.
The Incarnate Word has been revealed completely (Colossians 1:15); he is the ultimate and complete revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1-4).
Connections and Themes
Salvation in our midst. If our eyes are open and alert, we can see marvelous things. We can see that God has won a victory for us. The victory is tangible; it is realized in our midst. What kind of victory is it? It is an overwhelming victory, one that conquers the enemy and conquers permanently. Strong military language accents this victory. The power of God brings about a sweeping triumph that is unparalleled. What is conquered is evil itself, the disruptive powers of sin that choke off life and bring unbearable suffering to weak and strong alike. God has won victory for us, and blessed are those who have eyes to see the messenger and ears to hear the glad tidings of triumph. When the victory is experienced, salvation is ours. We can take it in and make it our own. By this victory God is glorified, the past is made right, and there is righteousness for all.
A universal salvation. God’s victory has a profound impact upon every place, every time, and every people. The birth of an infant king in David’s line promises salvation to all who long for it. This salvation is a new vision of wisdom, one that has been realized in Christ, who is God’s agent of grace in the world. This means that we humans have another chance at living lives of righteousness. We are now able to be forgiven and to forgive. We have been graced with the presence of one who can make a difference in our lives if only we would be attentive to what is in front of us. It is a new world, one of inclusivity and righteous honor. It is a new age, ushered in by the child who is leading a victory procession.
The glory of the child-king. Christ is the source and signal of God’s universal salvation. The child-king is the reflection of God’s glory, and we are in awe of the wonder made known to us. What we need are eyes of faith to see this marvel of God’s wisdom, this reflection of God’s glory in the fragility of the child of Bethlehem. The clouds of heaven are opened for just a moment, but it is enough time for us to catch a glimpse of the divine character of this mysterious child. He is the exact representation of God; he sits at God’s right hand; he is God’s Word made flesh.
The Word of God made flesh. Ultimately, the eyes of faith allow us to see the fullness of God’s revelation. The glory of the infant king is the very presence of God made flesh. Jesus is the eternal incarnate Word who has pitched his tent among us. Ours is not a distant God. Rather, the incarnate wisdom of God is among us, and we are called to a change of heart that will allow us to see this wonder. But something more happens. In this turn of events, the participation in the mystery can be so complete that we can know a deep communion in the reality offered to us in Christ. The marvel is that the child who was born among us can be born again and again in those who believe. The divine Word continues to draw close to those who seek to live lives of sincerity and truth. We, too, can be children of light. Grace becomes incarnate in those who believe, for the salvation of God is made flesh in us. The tent of God is pitched wherever salvation is offered, and the ways of evil and death are overturned. All of this takes place right before our eyes.
Sunday Readings 