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December 25, 2022 – Christmas Day (Cycle A, Yr. I)

Community Word: The Nativity of Jesus, our Emmanuel, brings salvation to His people.
Theme: Our salvation is at hand when we experience God’s fullness of grace
Promise: “All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.” (Is 52:10b)
Reflection:
Rejoice! Today is Christmas Day, a joyful commemoration of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And today, as our theme emphasizes, we truly experience God’s fullness of grace because of the awesome mystery of the Incarnation of God. It is written in John 1:14 – “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.” The humanity of Jesus is born through Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us,” (Mt 1:23).
Jesus is God’s greatest gift to us, so we should rejoice and be glad for this is the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation to mankind. We do not only hear God’s words of joy and peace; we experience the presence of God in our midst, Emmanuel. God sent us His Son to be one of us, to live among us. He is the visible expression of God’s faithful love.
Christmas is not about the external trimmings or decorations, celebrating with parties among friends and attending family gatherings. Yes, they are good and we need these things to bring social meaning to the Christmas season. But the essential and most meaningful way to celebrate Christmas is to celebrate it with love. It’s a time of peace, to reach out and extend forgiveness, a time to reconcile and a time to share. We can give substance to all our Christmas greetings and to the popular expression – give love on Christmas Day, by including the last, the least and the lost in our gift giving. After nearly three years of the pandemic, this Christmas is possibly closest to normalcy. Let us be inclusive in the celebration with those who really need our care and love, for the reason of the season is the love of the Father through Jesus Christ.
Indeed, we are celebrating the first coming of Christ. Staying humble at heart is our way of imitating Christ’s lowly beginning, as we contemplate on His birth in a manger. Despite being God, He chose to be simple, far from grand and festive welcoming celebration. His heart is always open for those who seek Him especially the less fortunate who have no means to celebrate even if they want to. This is the time of the year when we are more financially blessed. As we prepare to make a list to buy gifts for relatives and friends who are dear to us, let us not forget to include those who represent the “poor shepherds in the manger.” We extend the joy of blessings to our lowly brothers and sisters with gifts, in whatever form it may be that can bring smiles on their faces. It is our way of giving back to the Lord the blessings and graces He has given. As we decide to give with all our hearts, He will bless us abundantly and we will abound in every good work we do.
Thanksgiving is the message of Christmas with so many things to thank God. The joyous holiday is dedicated to bringing friends and family together, beautifying our homes with amazing decorations and enjoying sumptuous homemade food. It is also a perfect opportunity and a time to reflect on our many blessings and share our gratitude to make it meaningful. Most of all to thank God for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel. The Lord in His kindness, allows us to have a Christmas that brings joy and happiness and to bless us spiritually, celebrating His birth and His promise: “All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God,” (Is 52:10b).
Prayer:
Father God, You gave us Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and our hearts are full of joy. We could not thank You enough for Your great love, gifting us with Your Son as the fulfillment for our salvation. Grant us the grace to be able to respond to Your call for redemption. We rejoice as we find new hope in the coming of Jesus. Allow us to share the joy and Your love as we celebrate the merriment of the season. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:

  1. As a Christian, what would Christmas be like without Jesus, who is the very reason for the celebration? Are you spiritually prepared to receive Him in your heart?
  2. How would you have a meaningful Christmas celebration? Would your celebration include sharing Christmas joy with the poor and the less fortunate in society?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
December 25, 2022 (Sun) – Is 52:7-10/Ps 98:1-6/ Hb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18
December 26, 2022 (Mon) – Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59/Ps 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16, 21/ Mt 10:17-22
December 27, 2022 (Tue) – 1Jn 1:1-4/Ps 97:1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12/Jn 20:2-8
December 28, 2022 (Wed) – 1Jn 1:5-2:2/Ps 124:2-5, 7, 8/Mt 2:13-18
December 29 2022 (Thurs) – 1Jn 2:3-11/Ps 96:1-3, 5, 6/Lk 2:22-35
December 30, 2022 (Fri) – Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Ps 128:1-5/Col 3:12-21/Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
December 31, 2022 (Sat) –1Jn 2:18-21/Ps96:1, 2, 11-13/Jn 1:1-18

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”

 
 

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