Catholic Caucus: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)Mass at Dawn, 12-25-02

Reading I
Is 62:11-12

See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called "Frequented, "
a city that is not forsaken.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12.

A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.

Reading II
Titus 3:4-7

Beloved:
When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel
Lk 2:15-20

When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us."
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, December 25, 2002

Meditation
John 1:1-18

Nativity of the Lord

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” (Psalm 98:4)

Today is a day of exuberant joy and gladness, a day where the yearning and anticipation of centuries is fulfilled. “The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations” (Psalm 98:2). So let the children of God rejoice! Rejoice, Adam and Eve! See how God’s ancient promise to you has come to fulfillment. This child’s birth signals the end of your exile and a new hope for all your offspring. Mercy replaces judgment. Your disobedience is covered by the humble obedience of a faithful Son. Rejoice, Abraham, you who trusted in your Creator and loved him more than you loved his creatures. He has come! The Father has provided the Lamb for the sacrifice, and no other sacrifice will ever be needed again.

Rejoice, Joseph, son of Jacob! Your faithfulness to God amid danger and slavery enabled you to save a nation. Today the Savior of all nations is born! You fed a people with food from the earth; he will feed them with food from heaven.

Rejoice, Moses, deliverer from bondage! Through you, the people of Israel beheld God’s glory and wept over their folly. Through the new Deliverer, grace and truth will overcome the condemnation of the law.

Rejoice, King David! In your youth, you showed no fear and slew a mighty enemy because you believed God’s power was greater than your weakness. See the tiny infant who will grow up to confound the world’s wisdom, expose the proud, and overturn the powers of darkness. Rejoice, John, son of Elizabeth! You prophesied that the true light was coming into the world. Rejoice that you saw his day and witnessed his obedience to everything the Father commanded. We honor you for preparing the way for his coming.

Rejoice, Mary, mother of our Savior! Through your humble obedience, “the Word became flesh” and came to live among us (John 1:14). Your yes to the Father opened the floodgates of grace for all your brothers and sisters. You brought forth our Savior and our Lord. Thank you! Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son . . . the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God, took on human flesh so that he might manifest the love of his Father to a people condemned, a people who once lived without hope or recourse in the world. You and I are part of that people. Because of our sin, we were separated from the love of God. This is a critical issue. How deeply has this realization sunk in? The degree to which we grasp the desperation of our state before Jesus came is the degree to which we will value his Incarnation.

Close your eyes and picture the Lord Jesus before you now. His hands are outstretched, beckoning: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:20-21).

This is the one who was born on this day so many years ago. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He is worthy of our lives. Can you give him your love today? Can you rejoice in the new life he has poured into you? The Savior has come to you!

“My Jesus, my Savior, I love you! Thank you for coming into the world and into my heart. I rejoice that I have been blessed to see your glory in my life. On this special day, let me speak of the joy of your coming to everyone I meet!”

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