A child is born to us, a son is given,

   And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

 

＊＊＊ 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

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 human beings was also light, light that shines in darkness, 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 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 to all who received him, he empowers to become children of God, for they believe in his name. These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man: they are born of God.

 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have his glory, the glory of the only Son of 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: The gospel of John opens with the majestic hymn to the Word that was made flesh. The Word is the principle of creation and the light that can never be vanquished by darkness. John came to testify to the light that is with God the Father since the beginning of time.

 REFLECT: This prologue of John sets the tone of the gospel he wrote. John seeks to highlight the divinity of Jesus so much so that he, John, becomes identified with the eagle, a bird believed by the ancients to have the capacity to look at the sun directly without experiencing temporary blindness.

Among the gospel writers, only John extensively highlights the divine nature of Jesus Christ. Thus, his gospel is set apart from the other three that share lots of common features. And perhaps, no other gospel writer presents the Incarnation of the Son of God in such a beautiful way.

What we have in the other three gospels are stories of the birth or childhood of Jesus Christ. But in John, the incarnation is a marvelous process where the traffic between heaven and earth is most marvelously highlighted. The birth of Jesus is not only a story among many other birth stories but an event that changed the course of heaven and earth forever.

 RESPOND: The gospel of John is a fascinating gospel to read. Why don't you make it a point to read the gospel from start to finish before the year ends? This would be a good preparation to greet the coming of the new year.