Christmas
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny : "This will be a sign for you: you will find an infant... lying in a manger" (Lk 2,12)
Reading
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 watchmen 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.
Ps 98,1.2-3.3-4.5-6.
Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory. The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see, Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the LORD.
Heb. 1,1-6.
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a 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 first-born into the world, he says: "Let all the angels of God worship him."
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.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Commentary of the day
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
1st Sermon for the Nativity (cf. SC 166)
"This will be a sign for you: you will find an infant... lying in a manger" (Lk 2,12)
“A child is born to us” (Is 9,5) and the God of majesty, emptying himself (Phil 2,7), has made himself, not only in the likeness of a mortal body, but even as young and weak as children are… O holy and sweet child, who restores true innocence to man! Through you every age can return to blessed infancy (Mt 18,3) and take on the likeness of the Infant God, not according to the smallness of his limbs but through humility of heart and gentleness of manners… As an example to you God has willed to become the most humble and smallest of all even though he is greater than all. It was a little thing for him to make himself lower than the angels by taking on the condition of our mortal nature; it was necessary for him to make himself even smaller than men are by taking on the age and weakness of a child. Let the devout and humble man take note of this and make it his boast. Let the impious and proud man take note and be put to shame by it. Let them see the infinite God become a child, a toddler to be adored… For this first manifestation to humankind God chose to show himself beneath the features of a little child and to appear more loveable than formidable. Thus, since he comes to save and not to judge, he demonstrates for the time being what might draw forth love, leaving till later what might inspire dread. So let us, who cannot so much as think of the throne of his glory without trembling, confidently approach the throne of grace (He 4,16). Here there is nothing frightening or stern to fear. To the contrary, all is goodness and gentleness to give you confidence. In truth, there is nothing easier to appease than this child’s heart: he anticipates your offerings of peace and satisfaction and is the first to send you messengers of peace to encourage you to reconciliation – you, the guilty one! It suffices to want it, and to want it wholly and entirely. Not only will he grant you his pardon but he will overwhelm you with his grace. More than this: considering it to be by no means an insignificant gain to have re-found his missing sheep, he will celebrate a feast with his angels, (Lk 15,7).
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