20241225 CALLED TO BE GIFT TO OTHERS BY RECEIVING THE GIFT OF SONSHIP
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.
Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.
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.
Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.
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 | Lk2:10-11 |
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.’
25 December 2024, Wednesday, Nativity of the Lord
CALLED TO BE GIFT TO OTHERS BY RECEIVING THE GIFT OF SONSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 9:1-7; PS 96:1-3,11-13; TIT 2:11-14; LK 2:1-14]
At Christmas, it is a tradition for us to give gifts, especially to our loved ones and to the poor. This practice of giving gifts at Christmas unfortunately has been so commercialized that people forget the origin of this practice. Some give because of social pressure to give. Others give because it is expected of them. Some give because everyone gives. Yet, the origin of giving springs from the giving of God Himself in Christ Jesus. In the gospel of John, we read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
But it is more than just God giving us His only Son. Jesus is given to us for a purpose, so that He could be our Saviour. This is the refrain of the Church, “Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.” It is the fulfilment of the prophet Isaiah, “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.” Indeed, Christ Jesus would establish His dynasty and kingship of peace and justice. As the responsorial psalm said, “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.” He has come to restore justice, peace and harmony in the world.
What is true justice? For many of us, we think of justice in terms of fighting for our rights and punishing our enemies. But this is not how Christ came to bring about justice. He came to announce to us that God loves us and has forgiven us. The gift of Jesus to us is the gift of peace that comes from the assurance of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness in Christ. This is what the angels meant when they sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.” In saying this, they were not saying that God will give peace only to those who are good and obedient to His commandments. For if peace is the reward of good behaviour, we do not need to sing “Glory to God.” Rather, because we who are sinners are the object of God’s goodwill, regardless of our state of being, this is what should cause us to be amazed at the generosity and sacrifice of God. Through Christ, therefore, God justified us by His death and resurrection. Our sins are forgiven and we are loved and accepted. This is the first aspect of the gift of God, an unmerited gift.
But this gift is also the life of Christ Himself given to us so that we can follow His way. Forgiveness of our sins is but the first stage towards finding life. We need to walk in the truth, in the light and in the Way. As the prophet said, “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.” Jesus came to be the Light of the world. He came to show us the way to bring peace through love and forgiveness. He came to take away the burdens that we carry because of anger, resentment and hatred of our enemies. He did this by being the Suffering Servant of God. Indeed, as the prophet said, “For the yoke that was weighing on him, the barb 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.” St John wrote, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (Jn 1: 6-10)
St Paul elaborates how Jesus is the Light to the world by inviting us to share in the sacrificial love of Christ. To be a gift to others requires us to give more than mere external gifts. At Christmas, giving of gifts is but a mere fraction or an expression of our love for someone. But for God, He gave us Himself at Christmas, holding nothing back. He gave us His only Son, so that Jesus in turn might give up His life for us. “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.” Indeed, the gift of Jesus was more than just the giving of His life to teach us and show us the way, but to give His life for us by dying on the cross.
In this gift of Christ, we come to realize that peace and happiness in life is ours if we are ready to do the will of God, and to do everything for the good of others instead of striving to fulfil our selfish ambitions in life. St Paul wrote, “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.” We must seek to live in the light of the gospel, which is the manifestation of God’s will. We need to strive to live a life of integrity ourselves. When we put the interests of others before ours, this world will be a more harmonious place. This is why the giving of gifts, despite all its limitations, is an act of goodwill that will help people to feel appreciated and loved, so that in turn, they will also do likewise to others.
Indeed, in the gospel, we see how unselfish and humble our God is. When He came to be born on this earth, He did not come in His glory. He chose to be born in a manger, stripped of His majesty. When He came, the first announcement was not to those who lived in the palaces or the temple, but to the uncouth shepherds in the country side. This is what we read, “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.”
From this humble giving of God in Christ, we therefore must give Him the greatest of all gifts. If we are to find the capacity to do what Jesus did, we must first give Him a place in our hearts. We read in the gospel, “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.” “There was no room for Him in the inn” – such were the terse and tragic words of the evangelist, a judgment on the people. St John’s gospel puts it in a more explicit manner. “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” (Jn 1:10f)
So the ultimate gift that Jesus wants to give us is the gift of sonship in Him. St John continued, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn 1:12f) Jesus came to give us nothing less than Himself so that we can become sons in the Son. This is why, He asks us to give Him a place in our hearts so that we too can be given the grace to share our life and love like Him, and therefore truly experience the joy of living as God’s sons and daughters. Becoming His children is the greatest gift of Jesus from His Father to us. No greater gift can we receive at Christmas than for Jesus to live in us!
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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