SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (MASS OF THE DAY)

Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 97:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18

And God Became Man

This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Yes, today is Christmas Day, a day on which we celebrate the great mystery: God has become one of us.

God had spoken to our ancestors in various fragmentary ways, says the second reading. But in our time, he has spoken to us through his own Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-6). The Word has become flesh, and he lives among us, and we have seen his glory as the only Son of the Father (John 1:1-18).

Thus, in this newly born Baby, lying in a manger, we contemplate God. In this little child, we see the radiant glory of God, the perfect copy of who God is. The Invisible God has become visible. Christmas, therefore, is not the celebration of the birthday of Jesus, where we will be adding a year to his age each time we celebrate Christmas. Otherwise, Jesus would be too old with time.

Christmas is rather the celebration of God’s love for us, when he left his abode to make his home among us. God wanted to be with us. He wanted to identify himself with our human condition, marked with frailty, struggles, suffering and death. He wanted to take what is ours to himself so as to give us what is his.

This is the great Good News to the world of today. We are therefore the heralds of this Good News. We must bring this good news of peace and joy to all (cf. Is. 52:7-10).

I with you, therefore, a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. May the newborn King reign in your heart. May he give you peace, joy, success and good health.
Amen