Holy Day of Obligation

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Isaiah 52:7-10

 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,

Who herald peace and happiness, who proclaim salvation and announce to Zion: “Your God is king!” Together your watchmen raise their voices in praise and song; they see Yahweh face to face returning to Zion.

 Break into shouts of joy, O ruins of Jerusalem, for Yahweh consoles his people and redeems Jerusalem. Yahweh has bared his holy arm in the eyes of the nations;

all the ends of the earth, in alarm, will witness God’s salvation.

 

Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6(3c)

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

 ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Hebrews 1:1-6

 

＊＊＊＊ 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 were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light.  Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him.  He was not the Light

but a witness to introduce the Light.  For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone.

 He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him;

but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. 

 These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God.  And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness.

John bore witness to him open­ly, saying: This is the one who comes after me, but he is already ahead of me for he was before me.  From his fullness we have all re­ceived,

favor upon favor.

 For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Fa­ther.

      

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

Isaiah, sometimes called the “Gospel of the Old Testment” beause of its many prophecies connected to Jesus and Mary, anticipates the great joy of Israel welcoming back to Jerusalem the king of Israel.

God coming in the flesh is the culmination of the Revelation. Jesus is the final Word of the Father. The great mystery of the Nativity is God becoming flesh! The key word of the Nativity is: “and the WORD WAS MADE FLESH.”

Reflect:

The long-awaited Messiah-king comes into the world not in the grandeur of the royal palace but in the humble manger of poor shepherds. The king identifies with his subjects, the common man. The Messiah is going to be a Shepherd. And he will be a Good Shepherd.

The Emanuel will be present always amongst his people for by becoming Flesh the Divine becomes for all time present to all flesh!

Pray:

Silence, holy silence, is the best gesture or response when one is in the august presence of the Lord-Adonai. Thus even nature, is silent, He is born on a “Silent Night!” But though the earth be silent and still, yet in the heavens the angels sing”Gloria in Excelsis.”We do the same.

Act:

Rejoice in God’s embrace as you embrace the baby Jesus, individually and as a family! Merry Christmas!