24 December/Friday
Morning Mass
2Sam 7:1-5, 8-11,14,16/Psa 89:2-5,27,29/Luke 1:67-79
By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD
First Reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16
Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Morning star, radiance of eternal light,
sun of justice,
come and enlighten those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 1:67-79
'You, little child, shall be the prophet of the Most High'
John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue
and he has raised up for us a power for salvation
in the House of his servant David,
even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors,
thus he remembers his holy covenant
the oath he swore
to our father Abraham
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare the way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy of our God
who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.’
Reflection
The Gospel Reading presents the Benedictus or Song of Zechariah which he proclaimed after he regained the power of speech at the circumcision and naming ceremony of the son, John the Baptist. It is not only a song of joy at the restoration of his power of speech or the gift of a son. It is an inspired song that proclaims the greatness of God beyond the events unfolding before the eyes of his audience. His song like the Magnificat is theology, social ethics, politics and economy.
Most of what Zechariah says in his song does not focus on John the Baptist. It rather points to the redemption of God’s people. The little he says about John the Baptist presents him as a prophetic figure, filled with the Holy Spirit. He, in the spirit of Elijah would go before Jesus whose birth is imminent and make ready a people prepared for the Lord. The ministry of John the Baptist would confirm the prophecy of Zechariah and point to Christ, the Saviour of the world.
This Gospel Reading serves as a good preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ this night. Zechariah announces the characteristics and mission of the Saviour. He invites us to enter into dialogue with him as we encounter him in his birth in a manger. The greatness portrayed in the song contrasts with the lowly birth but this is the message of Christmas. Christ is king but of a different kind from the kings of the earth. We hail him as our Saviour who ushers us into a new way of life. May we be encouraged to change our lives for the better so that Christ may be born in our hearts this night.
Midnight Mass
Isaiah 9:1-7/ Psalm 95(96):1-3,11-13/ Titus 2:11-14/ Luke 2:1-14
First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7
A Son is given to us
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
these you break as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire.
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
Wide is his dominion
in a peace that has no end,
for the throne of David
and for his royal power,
which he establishes and makes secure
in justice and integrity.
From this time onwards and for ever,
the jealous love of the Lord of Hosts will do this.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95(96):1-3,11-13
Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Second Reading Titus 2:11-14
God's grace has been revealed to the whole human race
God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.
Gospel Acclamation Luke 2:10-11
Alleluia, alleluia!
I bring you news of great joy:
today a saviour has been born to us, Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 2:1-14
'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’
Reflection
The Gospel Reading presents a succession of events which are all narrated in relation to the birth of Christ Jesus. The account of the actual birth is narrated in very few words without much description of how it all happened. The reading begins with an account of why Jesus was born in Bethlehem and not in Nazareth where the parents resided. A decree by a pagan Emperor obliged Joseph to travel to Bethlehem for a census. The decree which may have been ordinary in the eyes of many people brought about the fulfilment of a divine plan that Jesus, the Son of God should be born in Bethlehem the city of David.
It is not always that we take civil or political decrees lightly, especially when they disrupt social harmony. We tend to resist such moves and condemn those who are responsible for the decree. It is rare that in such cases we take time to reflect on the possibility of God’s hand directing events in human history. We may begin to appreciate the need to reflect on such apparently human manipulations if we pause for a moment and think of how different would have been the story of Jesus if he were born in Nazareth in Galilee and not in Bethlehem in Judea. One of the most obvious things that would have happened would have been the difficulty to link Jesus with the house of David. Without this link, his royal nature would not have been very evident.
In the succession of events in the story, we note the lack of a suitable accommodation for the parents of Jesus in Bethlehem. The nature of the census might have been such that relatives from all over the region flocked to Bethlehem ahead of Joseph and Mary so they could not find a suitable lodging place. When we read that Jesus was laid in a manger, we have the impression it might have been an abandoned place or a place where usually animals were kept. It may have been a cave as tradition suggests but it could also have been otherwise. Judeo-Palestinian houses of peasants are constructed in such a way that at times farm animals and their fodder are often kept in the same building where the family lives.
Considering the crowds that may have flocked to Bethlehem for the census, the use of the eating trough or manger could have been ideal because of its shape. It could serve adequately as a baby couch. Such a consideration dispels the emotional interpretations of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. It dispels the sensation that Mary and Joseph were not welcome in Bethlehem or Jesus was born under inhuman conditions. We may have to consider the account of Luke as his way of indicating the socio-political circumstances that compelled Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus. Consequent to the socio-political circumstances was also the condition in which Jesus was born. It is relevant to note that the central message of Luke was to point to the lowly nature of the birth of Jesus. He was a king who was not born in a palace but in the dwelling place of peasants.
The difficult situation so far described contrasts with the experience of the shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem. The birth of a child that would have gone unnoticed in the confusion surrounding the census decreed by Caesar Augustus takes the centre place thanks to the intervention of an angel of the Lord who announced to the shepherds news that they may never have imagined. He told them: “Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”. This message transformed the quasi lonely birth into a world event. God knew how to bring the birth of his Son into the centre of human history. The proclamation by the angel of God continues to echo in our ears today as we celebrate the birth of Christ. We know that his nativity has changed human history. Christ has become the central point of our world even for those who either reject or ignore him. We are privileged to share in the good news of his birth and to affirm that his birth has brought us salvation. May we be bold in making this known to the world around us.
