The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Vigil Mass
Lectionary: 13
Reading I
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
He shall say of me, “You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.”
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading II
When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,
he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said,
“Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the
land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out of it.
Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;
of him he testified,
‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tomorrow the wickedness of the earth will be destroyed:
the Savior of the world will reign over us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
As the sun slowly sets and a spiritual silence settles upon this world, we gather together in community. Our Advent journey has come to an end. We are invited to pause and experience this silence. It is a holy silence, one that marks a great event and defines who we are as Christians. Regardless of where we find ourselves as individuals in our lives, there is something greater here at work. This is something that unites all of us, giving us purpose and value beyond anything that we could imagine otherwise. The Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, marks the beginning of our salvation story and defines who we are as human beings. Nothing else really matters except for this night, this silence, this moment that has the capability of lasting an eternity. It is a time of rejoicing. It is a time of celebration. Yet, it also is a time of contemplation. It is easy to get swept up in other aspects of this celebration and have its impact get lost in material things. There are those who seek to capitalize on the secular aspect of this holiday. the exchange of gifts, the parties, and celebrations that remove that which should be at the center of it: the Christ Child. These things, though complimentary, are not necessary. In fact, making these things secondary makes the event more impactful. Minimizing all things surrounding the Christmas Joy gives us the opportunity to find Jesus in the silence and we can then enjoy the silence and what it offers: Hope, peace, joy, and love. The Christ Child is the perfection of all these things, and, through Him, we can then begin our journey toward perfection.
During Advent, we were encouraged to reflect on the past year, asking ourselves if we were fully prepared for that wonderful day when Jesus would come again in all of His glory to judge the living and the dead. We examined our successes and failures, recommitting ourselves to our faith. Now, with the coming of the Christmas Season, we go forward guided by the Light of Christ. We should be invigorated and inspired by what our future can hold if only we define ourselves by this event that we now celebrate. The spiritual experience of the Incarnation does not have to end. It can stay with us, as long we recognize that Jesus is indeed with us always, guiding us and protecting us as we journey through this life. There is some urgency here. We can either use this event as a focal point for a deeper, more profound spiritual experience, or we can let it fade away. I feel that we all can conclude that the former is better than the latter.
This building, this chapel, holds a lot of significance. Centered amidst so much darkness, it offers a light that cannot be extinguished. Those who rage against it, only appear to be victorious in the short-term, but then find themselves thwarted time and time again by the light that emanate from such a small, helpless child at its center. Time and time again, there is victory through Jesus Christ and a valuable lesson to be held: “If God is with us, who can be against us.” We stand for something greater than anything that this secular world can produce. It is through this that we find purpose and ultimately find ourselves. We as Christians are keepers of this light and are commissioned to go forth and spread this light into the world. And there is nothing that can oppose the light. Heed the words of Saint Augustine, “Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man! Awake, you who sleep, rise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again: for your sake, God became man.” The Birth of Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ becomes a celebration of our own rebirth and the beginning of our own Salvation Story. God is with us. God is inside of us. God is here to guide us to eternal life and eternal glory. Nothing is impossible with God. He has conquered all things including death itself. Because of this there is really nothing left to fear in this world. As long as we keep our focus on the Christ-Child and our relationship with Jesus all problems, issues, and controversies will disappear because all can and will be conquered through Jesus Christ. Armed with this knowledge we can act accordingly. We can act as Children of the Light; Children of God.
Deacon Tom
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