FIRST READING (A son is given us.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (9:1-6)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this! —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13)

R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord. (Lk 2:11)

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands. Sing to the Lord; bless his name. (R)

Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R)

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. (R)

They shall exult before the Lord, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy. (R)

SECOND READING (The grace of God has appeared to all.)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to Titus (2:11-14)

Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Lk 2:10-11)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I proclaim to you good news of great joy: today a Savior

is born for us, Christ the Lord. (R)

GOSPEL (Today a Savior has been born for you.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:1-14)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled 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 her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“Behold, I bring you news of great joy!”

​The message of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds was a startling one, “Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. .. A savior has been born for you who is CHRIST THE LORD!”

​For hundreds of years and millions of celebrations of Christmas, this Gospel has been read and proclaimed. But this year, our Christmas has been – in a phrase from a few weeks ago in another homily –turned upside down.

​A recent personality who is also an ordained minister, speaking about Christmas reminded his listeners that while many governments and politicians throughout the world appear to be vying for the title of “the grinch who stole Christmas,” telling us to avoid each other, and be locked down during this most special time of the Christian year. While we all agree we should take special precautions and care during this pandemic that has affected us for a year now, still no matter who they are, or whatever “earthly power” they appear to have, what they cannot do is CANCEL CHRISTMAS.

​He went on to remind people that “Herod tried to cancel Christmas 2000 years ago, and it did not end well for him!” That is not a threat, but Scriptural reality.

​The narrative of the first Christmas we just reheard proved how God could break through the most powerful resistance on earth, and just like water, find a way to seep into our lives in the person of his Son. God’s LOVE found its way to earth in the most miraculous and unexpected of ways.

    While God had been present in our lives since the time of creation in many ways, especially through his prophets and holy people. But we celebrate Christmas because finally – on this occasion – God showed up IN PERSON. But he comes in person in the most unlikely way: not in power as a king or ruler, not in glory, but as a vulnerable newborn baby, the child of a young virgin and her betrothed, and born miraculously. The Christ Child was born in a manger – a cave to shelter animals – and wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed carefully, lovingly into a trough over hay, the feed of the animals.

In so many Christmas carols such as Away in the Manger, we romanticize this scene. We glorify this feeding trough as if it was a holy place. Irreverently, we could say that God showed up on a dinner plate where sheep, goats and cattle fed. But why? Why did God choose this means to come to us IN PERSON?

The reason is quite simple. Through this scene, God wanted the most simple, most abject, most forgotten person on earth to know that it would never ever be beneath God to come to them. The true meaning of Christmas is found in this scene, and we see also that God is still showing up, coming to us IN PERSON even today.

​He shows up for the homeless person sleeping on the street in a cardboard shelter or huddled into the thousands of cubicle “rooms” throughout Hong Kong. He shows up to the widow and widower left alone to fend for themselves, adrift without any means of support or bereft of the feel and touch of love. He shows up for the single parent struggling to find the means to feed, cloth and educate a child or at this time of year to have the funds to buy one single toy for that child. He shows up for the abused person suffering in silence and humiliation hiding their wounds. He shows up for the lonely child, friendless, bullied, hurt and lacking a caress or a loving kiss goodnight. God will show up to the young or middle-aged person, laid off from work, feeling a total disaster and contemplating suicide.

And at this time of year and in our current seemingly-godless world, God will show up to those shut away, locked down, and unable to meet face to face to share the joy of this season.

Sure powers and principalities, governments and politicians can think they can do a lot, but one thing they cannot do – they cannot CANCEL CHRISTMAS. In reality, it would be easier for them to try to cancel tomorrow’s sunrise than to try to prevent God from coming to us IN PERSON. The angels tell us, “Do not be afraid!” Don’t worry! Christmas is not being cancelled. If God can come to us, if God can show up IN PERSON to us in a dirty feeding trough, he can surely show up for us – for YOU and for ME anywhere.

No power on earth can ever cancel his presence in your life.

​Luke also tells us that Jesus was laid in a manger, a trough for feeding. This reminds us that Jesus will feed us with knowledge about God and God’s ways through his teaching, life and example. We know he will also one day feed us with the true bread of life, the Eucharist, his Body and Blood. So, tonight, as we hear again this story of the Birth of Christ, let us thank God for sending his Son to dwell among us so that he might show us by word and example how we are to respond to God’s love.

​I wish to leave you with a meditation by the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen. “One night there went out over the stillness of an evening breeze, out over the white chalk hills of Bethlehem, a cry, a gentle cry. The sea did not hear the cry, for the sea was filled with its own voice. The earth did not hear the cry, for the earth slept. The great men of the earth did not hear the cry, for they could not understand how a Child could be greater than a man. “There were only two classes of men who heard the cry that night: Shepherds and Wise Men. Shepherds: Those who know they know nothing. Wise Men: Those who know they do not know everything.

The Shepherds found their Shepherd, and the Wise Men discovered Wisdom. And the Shepherd and the Wisdom was a Babe in a manger.”

Prayers

Celebrant:  On this blessed night, we rejoice, because our Savior has been born. Let us pray to the Father, who has shown his endless love by sending us his only Son.

READER: For the church throughout the world, celebrating the birth of Jesus with abundant love and rejoicing, we pray that all darkness may be illuminated by the great light the Church shines on the world, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER:  The prophet Isaiah proclaimed – “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Let us pray that those around us who suffer loneliness, sorrow, loss and unhappiness will experience the joy of the Gospels, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For the grace of hospitality, that during this holiday season as families and friends gather despite the difficulties of distancing and health concerns, we seek Jesus in the least of his brothers and sisters, and not forget those who could use a world of comfort and warmth at this time of year, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That Mary, our mother, may show her Divine Child to everyone who comes in wonder to the manger, and lay Him to rest in each of us as we approach the Sacrament of the Eucharist, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That the eternal light of salvation may shine upon those who have died, especially those near and dear to us who have died in the last year, as well as our parents and relatives who we miss in this season,(Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT:  God of glory and peace, we give thanks for your generous love given to us through the birth of your Son. Let the grace we find in him become the answer to our prayers, this night and every day both now and forever, (all) AMEN.