The Birth of the Unconquered Sun was originally a pagan Roman feast celebrating mid-winter and looking forward to the lengthening of sunlight that would lead to spring. The transformation of this festival into the Christian celebration of the Incarnation was appropriate — the seasonal renewal of the sun speaks clearly of the birth of the True Light, Jesus Christ, the Word of God become one with us in flesh.

Each of these Mass texts reveals a particular dimension of the mystery we celebrate on this day. Taken as a whole, they comprise a richly varied tapestry of faith and tradition. The VIGIL MASS sums up the spirit of Advent by addressing the human origins of Jesus as the fulfillment of the scriptural messianic hopes embodied in the history of the Jewish people. The MIDNIGHT MASS presents Christ as the light which dispels the darkness of the world. The MASS AT DAWN shows Jesus as God’s savior sent for our sakes, while the MASS DURING THE DAY focuses on the incarnation as the fullness of God’s Word become flesh among us.

Matthew begins his Gospel by giving Jesus the title of Christ — the Messiah, the Anointed One — and therefore asserts that Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic hopes of Jewish tradition. In this genealogy, which show many traces of artificial construction, Matthew wants to demonstrate that Jesus is of the royal line of King David, and highlight the importance of Joseph in the lineage, even though he is not the father of Jesus in a physical sense.

Although ancestry is always traced through the male line, Matthew takes pains to include four women in his list. Each is a sinner or a foreigner: the incestuous and deceitful Tamar (v 3, see Gn 38); Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute (v 5, see Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-25); Ruth, a young Moabite widow (v 5, see Ruth, especially 4:17); and Bathsheba, the adulterous wife of Uriah (v 6, see 2 Sam 11-12). It is not merely ancient sexist prejudice that prompted Matthew to include women in this way. He wanted to affirm the Jewish origins of Jesus, and yet show from Jewish history that God’s promised salvation includes all, even those traditionally excluded: women, foreigners, sinners. As the Son of David, Jesus is at the same time truly one of us in being a son of sinners as well.

The outcome of Joseph’s dilemma (vv 18-19 — see the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A) was that God clearly revealed to him that his role would be to give the child a claim to Davidic ancestry. V 25 affirms the virginal birth of Jesus, but has no bearing, one way or the other, on the Church’s tradition that Mary remained perpetually a virgin.

Just as the source of a bride’s happiness is her husband’s presence, so the happiness of God’s city comes from the Lord’s presence (vv 4b-5). The marriage-image of God and his people foreshadows both the perfect union of divinity and humanity in Christ himself, and the relationship of Christ to the Church as his bride.

This psalm elaborates upon God’s promises to David (2 Sam 7:8-16) that we see fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Response: "For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."

Paul begins his sermon to the assembled Jews in Antioch by considering God’s call of their ancestors to be his own people (vv 16-17) — a theme which echoes the first reading. Then he recalls the promises made to David (v 22) fulfilled in Jesus (v 23), and finally presents John the Baptist as the forerunner, calling people to prepare for Christ by change of heart (v 24). Aside from announcing the kingdom of God, John had no function on his own, and must of necessity yield to Jesus.

The fact and meaning of the birth of Christ are more important than whether or not the historical details are accurate. Luke was more concerned with conveying the full reality and significance of the event than with reporting mere happenings. There is, for example, no other evidence of the world-wide census of v 1, but Luke’s intention is not to talk about a census. He uses, or perhaps invents, this detail to emphasize that Jesus’ messiahship follows and yet surpasses the line of king David. Absolute poverty, as a necessary condition for taking part in the kingdom of God, is constantly emphasized by Luke. The most ordinary and lowly persons and things —shepherds, stable, cloth wrappings — make up the sign of the most extraordinary event in history. As the human poverty serves to highlight the richness of God’s power, so the darkness of night brings into relief the light-giving and glorious nature of this birth.

Among ancient peoples, darkness symbolized bondage and slavery — often the eyes of captives were put out, leaving them able to do heavy physical work, but making independent activity or escape impossible. Further, the land of the dead was called "sheol," which may be derived from a word meaning "dusk," and was certainly thought of as a place of shadowy, enslaved half-existence. Light, then, represented new life, and more importantly, liberation. The hoped-for liberator was given names which summed up the best qualities of past kings: "God-hero" and "Father-Forever" like David, who unified the nation through victorious struggles and established the royal dynasty from which the Messiah would come (v 5); "Wonder-Counselor" and "Prince of Peace" like Solomon, the wise king who brought peace and prosperity to the nation.

This psalm invites all peoples throughout the world to praise God’s glory. Response: "Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord."

The first part of this chapter gives moral advice that any good teacher might have given in those days. But since the birth of Christ, all human values are elevated, and a morally good life becomes a witness to the presence of God. Moral living in itself has no value beyond the purely natural, but in God’s power it is transformed into freedom from inner slavery and death.

This reading, which continues the passage from the previous Mass, concentrates on the shepherds’ discovery of the infant Jesus. The revelation of this birth is made first to the shepherds, who are not only poor, but also people who live on the fringes of society, and are rejected and ignored by "proper folk." In simplicity, the message is verified (v 18) and the value of the event is realized (vv 19-20). The poverty of Jesus’ birth (and life) is not merely a quality to be admired, but a way of life to be put into practice in order to follow him truly.

The coming of the Savior as bridegroom transforms the identity of his people. They are no longer "Abandoned" but "Cherished." A change in name signifies a real change in being. The new name in this reading, "Frequented," indicates an abundance of population — the full richness of humanity call to God’s love.

This psalm glories in the victory of the Lord over false gods and all forces of evil. Response: "A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us."

The Lord’s Spirit permeates our whole being, and so morality is not merely keeping rules, nor just a way to promote human well-being, nor even a way to please God, but rather it is the way to fulfill truly the will of God by being most fully what we are. By moral behavior and good works, we become perfected in what we already are — members of Christ’s body — and this is fulfilled in eternity.

"Word" means far more in this Gospel than it means in our common everyday language. So often, for us, a word is something empty and unreal. The world of media and advertising has cheapened words into near non-existence. Not so in the world of John, the author of this Gospel. The Greek world, to which John wrote, understood "word" as an idea communicated. A word is part of myself that I share with you. The Hebrew world, from which John came, added an element of challenge. A word not only communicates to me, it does something to me. It moves me. It has the power to change me.

The Word of God, therefore, is his perfect idea of himself — so perfect that we can in truth speak of it as having a personality in every way equal to God — God’s perfect self-idea as communicated. Yet this Word must be clothed in language we can understand if the act of communication is to be complete. This language is humanity itself. And here lies the key to understanding the teaching that Jesus is both God and a man. If he were God alone, but only a make-believe man, the communication would be unreal. God, whatever of himself he might be sharing, would not be speaking our language, and we would not be able to grasp him. It would be an idea without a voice, or with a false voice. If he were only a man — even a very special, most perfect man, but not God — the communication would be empty. An eloquent voice, perhaps, but no content. Spend a lot of time with this reading. It is better understood if contemplated — allowed to penetrate mind and heart — rather than explained or analyzed.

This reading reflects the power of the word in Hebrew understanding. The news of salvation does not merely speak about a fact, it makes the event itself happen. Thus, in the very telling and hearing of the word, "Your God is king," God is acknowledged and accepted as king, and his power transforms his people from ruin and destruction to victory and peace.

This hymn of praise celebrates the victory God has accomplished for his people. Response: "All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God."

The letter to the Hebrews looks back on all Jewish religious tradition and interprets it in the light of the event of Christ’s coming. Its first part concentrates on the greatness of Christ which surpasses that of the angels (the greatest powers imaginable) and the Jewish patriarchs (the greatest human beings). This reading repeats in different words the same understanding given by the Gospel. Note especially the first part of v 3.

1. Describe the particular character of each Mass as it sheds light on the mystery of the Incarnation.

2. Is your understanding of the meaning of Christmas any different after having studied these readings than it was before? In what ways?