READING OF THE DAY
First reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah
Is 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews
Heb 1:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me?
And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 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 came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.
Sunday the Nativity of the Lord – Christmas
( Mass of the Day)
(Jn 1:1-18)
God’s Word for Us
Dear people of God,
In the Word of God today, God reveals to all mankind that the Word is the Word of God: True God and True Man. Because of God’s love, He gave up all glory and honor in heaven and came down to earth as a human being like us. It was the Baby Jesus, who was the True God and became a True Man. In Him, there are always two natures: The divine nature and the human nature.
God revealed to mankind that: The Word is the True God and True Man from whence He Himself came into being from all eternity. It is through the Word that all things were created in heaven and on earth. God tells mankind that it is through the Word that man has eternal life and happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is also through the Word that we have Light, Light that has the power to dispel darkness and destroy sin.
God invites all mankind: To run to celebrate the Word that is True God and True Man. God entered the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and thus, the Baby Jesus was born, lying in a manger. This is a God who came to earth, a God of love who dwells among men, taking on the human condition like everyone else. God is a God of love. In Him, there is no deceit and no suffering. Only He can bring light to lead people to the place of eternal happiness, that is, the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. The Word is the Light that has come into the world to dwell among mankind and accompany humanity everywhere and at all times these past two thousand years. The Word has become a True Man and is in the midst of mankind to accompany, protect, and guide people to live in love and happiness. The Word took on the very image of God the Father to dwell among mankind. There is no love as great as the Word. It was the Word that gave man life. The Word allows people to enjoy the love of God the Father Himself. To this day, humanity has received the Word itself into its bosom. It is through the Eucharist that the Word is made present by the very nature of the True God.
God invites all mankind to run to celebrate and glorify the coming of the Second Person, so that humanity may enjoy the love, happiness, and light that God gives to mankind. The Light can lead man to God the Father. God invites mankind to: stop walking in the dark, to turn from sin, and return to God the Father. Make peace with Him, so that the love of the Word, which is the Child Jesus Himself, the Prince of Peace, will dwell in every soul.
God the Father loves all humanity. Therefore, until today, the Divine Plan of God the Father is placed in the Palace of God the Father to continue to spread love and deliver salvation to all mankind. This Divine Plan will be further developed under the action of the Holy Spirit. His light will spread throughout the world and call all mankind: to repent, to turn from the way of sin, and to return to God the Father so that He can dispel the darkness and banish sin. The light of love will fill the soul that repents and turns back to God the Father.
God the Father invites all humanity today: Always live in a spirit of thanksgiving to God. Out of love for humanity, He humbled Himself to become a human, taking on the human condition to accompany and lead people to the path of love, where God is calling all mankind to look up to the love of the Holy Trinity.
Thanks Be to God. Amen.
