| Liturgical note: Christmas readings |
|---|
| The Lectionary presents four different sets of readings for Christmas: the Christmas vigil mass, mass at night/midnight, mass at dawn, and mass during the day. This commentary uses the readings for the Christmas vigil mass. You can find the other Christmas readings on this blog. |
| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is 62:1-5 | Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 | Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 | Mt 1:1-25 or Mt 1:18-25 |
Christmas: Jesus the savior is born
On the feast of Christmas, the believing community celebrates with joy and hope: our joy at the inbreaking of God in history through the coming of Jesus in his incarnation, and our hope of salvation through the new-born savior. The readings focus on the joy and hope that God-with-us brings.
First reading (Is 62:1-5)
The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, specifically third Isaiah, who prophesied after the exiles’ return and during the rebuilding of Jerusalem (~515-480 BC). The interaction between the Holy One of Israel (God) and Jerusalem (the people of God) drives all of Isaiah’s narrative.
In today’s pericope, Isaiah forcefully restates (“I will not be quiet”) his vision of a new Jerusalem (God’s restored people). Isaiah imagines Jerusalem as God’s queen, a “crown,” and a “royal diadem.” The city’s reversal of fortunes require that God gives Jerusalem new names: “My delight is in her” and “Espoused.” Continuing the marriage imagery, Isaiah envisions Jerusalem’s restoration as an estranged wife reconnecting with her husband (“your Builder shall marry you”). God’s reengagement with Jerusalem brings fertility to the land.
The Lectionary editors chose this reading for its themes of joy and restoration, suitable for celebration the incarnation and God rejoicing in and with God’s people.
Second reading (Acts 13:16-17, 22-25)
The second reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, written in the late 80s by the same author as Luke’s gospel. Acts continues the story of Jesus and his believing community: the resurrected Jesus returns to the Father and sends the Spirit. Luke’s sequel is the story of the Spirit’s continuing actions in Jesus’ believing community.
In today’s pericope, we hear part of Paul’s proclamation at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. Paul recounts Jewish history: God chose the Israelites, delivered them from slavery (“their sojourn in Egypt”), provided them with a powerful anointed leader (“raised up David as king”), and promised a savior from David’s line (“this man’s descendants”). Paul then announces Jesus is the promised savior: “according to God’s promise, God has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.” Finally Paul quotes John the Baptizer as the prophet who announced Jesus (“heralded his coming”) and who identified Jesus as “one is coming after me.”
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Paul’s synagogue speech summarizes Jesus’ coming within the context of Israel’s history.
Gospel (Mt 1:1-25)
Matthew’s gospel is the story of Jesus’ genealogy (who Jesus is in human history) and birth (how God’s Son came to be with us).
- The story of Jesus’ origins. Matthew’s gospel begins with the Greek phrase Βίβλος γενέσεως/bíblos genéseos, which means “the birth-record” or “the origin story.” Matthew’s word γενέσεως/genéseos points back to the first book in the bible: Genesis (γένεσις/génesis); his is a new Genesis story. Matthew then traces Jesus’ human origins in three groups of fourteen names, beginning with Abraham (patriarchs), through David (kings), and those who returned from Babylon after the exile. Matthew’s genealogy includes four women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba). Each bore sons through unions that were unusual or unexpected. These “irregularities” prepare us to hear that the messiah is born of a virgin. Matthew’s genealogy establishes that Jesus is the son of David through his human and legal father, Joseph.
- The story of Jesus’ birth. Matthew’s nativity story focuses on Joseph and his dilemma: Mary, his fiancée, is pregnant by someone else. In a dream, God’s angel assures Joseph God is the source of Mary’s child (“this child has been conceived in her through the Holy Spirit”). God, through the angel, asks Joseph and Mary to complete their commitment to each other (“take Mary your wife into your home”), and to call the child Jesus (“God helps” or “God saves”). Joseph follows the angel’s commands: he completes the marriage transfer of Mary to his home and names her son Jesus. By naming Jesus, Joseph claims Jesus as his son, giving Jesus a son’s heredity rights, including Davidic descent. Matthew’s birth story establishes that Jesus is the Son of God conceived through the Holy Spirit’s generative power.
Summary and reflection
The Christmas readings ask us to think about what God has accomplished for us, and how we respond. Isaiah imagines the joy of God reconciling with the restored people as a loving husband reconnects with his estranged wife. Paul preaches Jesus’ joyful coming as the fulfillment of Jewish history. Matthew recounts Jesus’ genealogy and nativity to emphasize his human descent from David and his divine origin from the Spirit: Jesus is the expected but surprising messiah.
At Christmas we experience and celebrate the ancient but ever-new story of God becoming human to be with us. We look back in faith to God’s promise of restoration fulfilled in human history. We look forward in hope to Jesus’ promised return in glory and our share in his resurrected life. We look at today to see God’s infinite love for humans, expressed in God’s choice to experience human life’s joys and sorrows. We are part of the nativity and its infinite love: Adoremus, let us adore!
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 