Introduction
The anticipation of Advent is complete — our waiting is over!
Today we celebrate the profound mystery of the Incarnation — the Word of God humbling himself to share in our humanity so that we might be lifted to share in his divinity.Our Christmas celebration unfolds through four distinct liturgies, each progressing from anticipation to revelation, mirroring the unfolding story of Christ’s Nativity:
- The Vigil Mass invites us to a moment of joyful expectation, reflecting on the Old Testament prophecies that foretold the coming of the Messiah. It sets the stage for the glorious events we commemorate throughout Christmas.
- The Midnight Mass, known as the “Mass of the Angels,” transitions us from anticipation to jubilation. The Gospel recounts the moment when the angels proclaimed the Savior’s birth to the shepherds, and the Gloria — sung for the first time since Advent began — resounds with their hymn of joy: Glory to God in the highest!
- The Mass at Dawn, or “The Shepherds’ Mass,” focuses on the humble yet extraordinary response of the shepherds, the first witnesses of the Savior’s birth. Themes of light and eager adoration mirror their journey to the manger, inviting us to approach the altar with the same awe and gratitude.
- The Mass During the Day brings us to the theological heart of Christmas, drawing on the majestic prologue of the Gospel of John. It emphasizes Christ as the eternal Word made flesh, the light of salvation, and the profound manifestation of God’s love for humanity.
Regardless of which liturgy you participate in, our celebration centers 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 62:11-12
See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken.
These two verses from Isaiah vividly capture the themes of salvation, restoration, and divine joy that align with the birth of Christ.
See, the LORD proclaims to the ends of the earth:
This is no ordinary prophetic announcement but a divine proclamation intended for all nations.
The phrase “to the ends of the earth” underscores its universality, foreshadowing the Gospel’s message of salvation offered to all humanity.
Say to daughter Zion, your savior comes!
“Daughter Zion” poetically represents Jerusalem and, by extension, God’s chosen people. This tender address evokes God’s care and love for his people as a father or mother would for a child.
Note the verb tense: The Savior is not merely promised for the future; he is arriving now.
Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him.
The Savior comes bearing tangible blessings. “Reward” and “recompense” suggest that God’s salvation includes not only spiritual renewal but also restoration and vindication for his people.
They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of the LORD, and you shall be called “Frequented,” a city that is not forsaken.
These titles reveal the transformed identity of God’s people. To be “holy” is to be set apart for God’s purposes; to be “redeemed” is to be liberated from sin and restored to covenantal relationship.
The new name for Jerusalem,ʿIr ha‑nidrāshāh (“Frequented” or “Sought Out”) comes from the Hebrew verb darash, meaning “to seek, inquire, or visit.” This contrasts sharply with the desolation and abandonment Israel experienced during the Babylonian exile: Jerusalem is now desired, visited, and restored. It conveys attraction — not only by the nations, but by God himself, who seeks his people.
In its historical context, this proclamation reassures Israel of God’s mercy after exile. In the fullness of time, it points to Christ, whose coming reconstitutes God’s people as the Church — the holy and redeemed community.
At Christmas, these words echo as a prophetic hymn of joy: God has not forsaken his people but has come among them, fulfilling his promise in the birth of Jesus Christ
2nd Reading – Titus 3:4-7
Beloved:
When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
This passage from Paul’s letter to Titus proclaims the transformative work of God through Christ and highlights the profound implications of the Savior’s coming. It was probably part of an early Christian baptismal hymn.
Beloved: When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared,
This verse refers to the birth of Christ, the visible manifestation of God’s saving love. In him, the promises of the Old Testament find their fulfillment
not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy,
Salvation is pure gift. It flows from God’s mercy, not from human merit or righteous deeds.
he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,
This “bath of rebirth” refers to baptism, where the Holy Spirit cleanses and renews us.
Notice the glimpse of the Trinity: The Father pours out the Spirit through the Son.
so that we might be justified by his grace
Justification is God’s gracious act of making us righteous before him — not earned, but received through grace.
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Through justification, believers are adopted as children of God, heirs (klēronomoi) to his promises, and given the hope of eternal life (elpis zōēs aiōniou).
Klēronomoi indicates inheritance rights: Believers are not merely pardoned but adopted as full heirs to the kingdom. Elpis is confident expectation, not wishful thinking. Eternal life is both a present reality and a future fulfillment
In Christ’s appearing, God’s mercy transforms us: granting rebirth, justification, and full inheritance rights to God’s promises as adopted sons and daughters.
Gospel – Luke 2:15-20
When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
This morning’s gospel reading captures the joy and wonder surrounding Christ’s birth, as the shepherds become the first witnesses to the Savior’s arrival. It invites us to ponder the humility of the manger and the transforming power of encountering Christ.
When the angels went away from them to heaven,
Just before this passage, an angel appeared to the shepherds, announcing the birth of the Messiah and telling them they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.
Immediately after this proclamation, a multitude of angels suddenly appeared, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
Now this heavenly host has departed, leaving the shepherds alone again in their fields.
the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Their decision reveals faith in the message they received and eagerness to witness the fulfillment of God’s promise.
The fact that they would leave their flocks in the hills in search of a newborn baby was extraordinary. If anything were to happen to the sheep in their absence, the shepherds would face a significant financial loss — a risky decision, especially considering they were likely poor.
So they went in haste
Their haste shows joy and zeal. They are the first to seek the Child in response to God’s invitation.
and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
The sign given by the angel is fulfilled. This must have been a unique sight; after all, who puts a baby in a feeding trough?
This image underscores the paradox of the Incarnation: God made flesh in the most unlikely of circumstances. Rather than royal robes and the comfort of a palace surrounded by attendants, the Messiah is found in poverty and simplicity, lying in a manger.
When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.
Convinced by what they witnessed, the shepherds share the angelic message.
It’s reasonable to guess that the shepherds not only told Joseph and Mary about the message from the angel, but also about the entire vision of the host of angels and their song of praise. This would have been a great encouragement to them.
It is also likely that Joseph and Mary told the shepherds about the visions and experiences they’d had concerning the child. Such an exchange would have greatly strengthened the faith of both parties.
All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
The shepherds became the first evangelists, proclaiming the news to everyone they met.
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
Mary has already experienced the wondrous power of God, having conceived and birthed a child without having relations with a man. She made clear in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) that she is a believer. Now she stands silently before the mystery of what God has done, treasuring these events in her heart with respectful contemplation.
Commentators since ancient times have concluded that this line is also Luke’s way of citing the Blessed Virgin as his firsthand source. This makes sense given that Luke was a scrupulous historian and Mary was the only person who could have given an eyewitness account of the unusual events surrounding Christ’s birth.
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
The shepherds return to their ordinary lives, but they have been transformed.
Their worship and gratitude exemplify the proper response to encountering the living God.
Connections and Themes
The gift of salvation. The readings for Christmas Mass at Dawn emphasize the stunning generosity of God. Isaiah announces a salvation that approaches entirely by God’s initiative (“your salvation comes”), bestowed on a people who have done nothing to earn it. In the second reading, Paul makes this explicit: we are saved “not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy,” through the sheer kindness of God appearing in Christ. This theme resonates in the gospel reading as well: the Messiah does not arrive in a palace or among the powerful, but in the humility of a stable, revealed first to shepherds who could offer nothing in return.
Christmas confronts us with the truth that God’s love precedes our worthiness; his grace is given before we have a chance to prove ourselves. The dawn we celebrate today is the dawn of unearned mercy — a gift given freely so that no one is excluded from the joy it brings.
Transformative joy. The gift of this child, the long-awaited messianic king, brings profound change to all who receive him. Isaiah announces that God’s people, once forsaken, are now called “Holy People” and “Redeemed,” their new identity flowing from the joy of encountering God’s saving presence. This is a joy rooted in God’s initiative, a joy that confers dignity and belonging. In the gospel reading, the shepherds — poor, ordinary, and overlooked — are deeply changed by what they witness; they return glorifying and praising God, their hearts transformed by the Child they have seen. The second reading explains the foundation of this transformation: through the rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, we become heirs of divine life, restored and made new.
The joy of Christmas is not fleeting or sentimental, but a joy that reshapes who we are — lifting up the lowly, restoring the abandoned, and renewing all who receive the gift of Christ’s coming.
From darkness to proclamation. On this Christmas morning, the Scriptures reveal a God who not only arrives but immediately sets his people in motion. In Luke’s Gospel, lowly shepherds are the first to receive the news of the Savior’s birth. Their response is not passive; after seeing the Child, they “made known the message,” becoming the earliest proclaimers of the Incarnation. Isaiah foretells a similar dynamic: God’s people, once forsaken, become a visible sign to the nations, a people “sought out” because the Lord has acted for them. And in his letter to Titus, Saint Paul reminds us that the grace we have received makes us heirs — participants in God’s own life.
Christmas, then, is not a private devotion but a sending forth: those who have encountered the light in the darkness become its heralds. The miracle of this dawn is that ordinary people, touched by extraordinary grace, become messengers of hope for the world.
Sunday Readings 