Tag Archives: nativity

December 24, 2022

Christmas

By Fr. Andrew Ricci
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Pexels.com

Merry Christmas! Depending on the Mass you attend, there are four different sets of readings. Yet as we ponder God’s love for our fallen world, may the hope in our hearts burst forth as we proclaim the Good News with tidings of glad joy: today is born our savior, Christ the Lord!

Mass Readings

Vigil Mass – Mass at Night – Mass at Dawn – Mass during the Day

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Catholic Inspiration Archives

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December 19, 2022

Study, Pray, Serve: Christmas

By Fr. Andrew Ricci
Photo by Burkay Canatar on Pexels.com

There are FOUR different options for Mass Readings on the Feast of Christmas! As it depends on the Mass you attend (and the preference of the presider) I will limit my reflection to the Gospel readings.

Vigil Mass – Matthew 1:1-25

  • The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, with fourteen generations between Abraham to David, fourteen generations between David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations between the Babylonian exile to Christ.
  • The passage concludes with the angel’s message in Joseph’s dream to welcome Mary into his home.

Mass at Midnight – Luke 2:1-14

  • Joseph brings Mary to Bethlehem for the census, and there Mary gives birth to Jesus and lays him in swaddling clothes in a manger.
  • The angels proclaim a message of hope to the shepherds nearby, singing “Glory to God in the highest!”

Mass at Dawn – Luke 2:15-20

  • The shepherds go to Bethlehem and find the baby Jesus in the manger.
  • The message of the angels is made known to Mary and Joseph, and the shepherds return home praising God.

Mass during the Day – John 1:1-18

  • The Prologue of John’s Gospel reveals that Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and came into our world, shining with a light that the darkness can neither understand nor overcome.
  • John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the Son of God.

Mass Readings – Christmas

Vigil Mass

Mass at Midnight

Mass at Dawn

Mass during the Day

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Catholic Inspiration Archives

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December 19, 2016

Christmas

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

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Study: Recall a powerful Christmas memory.  What made it special?

Pray: Who could use a prayer this Christmas?  Offer it from your heart.

Serve: Does someone in your life need a little Christmas cheer?  Make it happen!

Mass Readings – Christmas (4 Options)

The beauty and power of Christmas flows from a central point: that God sent his Son into our world because we needed a savior.  Jesus takes on our human form and – like us in all things but sin – he redeems our fallen nature.  While his mission will be fulfilled through his death, resurrection and ascension, his birth offers us hope; God comes to us, establishing a bridge over sin and death and providing us with a way that leads to Heaven.

To reach us the Lord sets aside grandeur and majesty, coming into our world in humility and poverty, vulnerable and in need of the care of others.  Mary and Joseph, the angels and shepherds reveal that many played a part in the birth of the Christ child.

We do, too.  As Jesus teaches us, we also have the opportunity to encounter the Lord and one another in simple and approachable ways, setting aside our obstacles and being open to love and service.

How is the Lord leading you this Christmas?  How does the example of Jesus inspire you to reach out in love to others?  Is God speaking to your heart?

The Lord’s birth shows us that with a gentle and humble spirit we can approach one another in grace.  May this holy season foster our faith, strengthen our hope, and enrich our love.

Merry Christmas!

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Adoration of the Magi, Fabriano, 1423, Uffizi, Florence, Italy.

 

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