Today we celebrate the great Feast of Christmas — the Nativity of our Blessed Lord. Over the four Masses that are celebrated at his Nativity —The Vigil Mass — The Mass at night (known as Mid-night Mass) — The Dawn Mass — and the Mass during the day we hear from three of the evangelists —Matthew, at the Vigil Mass, where we hear the genealogy of Christ — the Mass at night and the Dawn Mass where we hear from Luke of the birth of Christ and the announcement of the Shepherds who then visit the infant King, and lastly at the Mass during the day where John pronounces his wonderful prologue to his Gospel, telling us in no uncertain terms, who Jesus is.
From the beginning, Christians have always proclaimed that Jesus is the Saviour, born of the House of David according to God’s promise, and the one to whom John the Baptist bore witness. (Acts 13:16-17,22-25) It is a similar teaching that gives rise to the ‘family record of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham’ and the story of the announcement to Joseph that is read at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. Biblical genealogy is a particular literary genre whose aim must be understood lest one be misled. To regard these lists as archival documents is to open oneself to endless questions that have no firm answers. They must be read as a way to understand and recapitulate the ancient prophecies, a way of interpreting events rather than merely recounting them. Their value is thus more homiletic than historical. That is why we find them so interesting. This literary genre, which today has fallen into disuse, is common in the Old Testament. e.g. The Genesis account of creation ends with the formula ‘Such is the story [the genealogy] of the heavens and the earth at their creation’ (Gen 2:4) These genealogies are undoubtedly composed of symbolic elements — coded messages? — that elude our grasp today. We can note, however, that of the four women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy, three of them are foreigners: ‘Rahab, Ruth, and ‘the wife of Uriah’’ who we are told, gave birth under irregular conditions. Is this a lesson of the universality of grace? In any case, Matthew decidedly insists on the honorific titles of Jesus: ‘Son of David,’ — ‘Son of Abraham,’ and ‘Christ,’ all three of which evoke divine election and suggest that before all generations, the source of Jesus Christ is to be found in God.
The genealogical tree that Matthew outlines, ends with: ‘…. Joseph the husband of Mary. It was of her that Jesus who is called Messiah was born.’
Notice however, that Matthew, evoking the beginning of the genealogy — ‘Now this is how the birth of Jesus came about’ quickly recalls that Joseph did not beget the child himself. The announcement to Joseph is a kind of commentary on the famous prophecy of Isaiah: ‘The Virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God with us.’’ (Is 7:14) Matthew’s genealogy insists on the Davidic line of ‘Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham.’ This legitimacy seems to be compromised since Jesus’ origin is directly from Mary. This is not the case however, since a new protagonist intervenes: ‘The Holy Spirit.’ Moreover, Joseph, himself a ‘Son of David’ must give the name to the child thus conceived and, by doing so, he must integrate him into the line from which he himself descends. Joseph did not beget Jesus. But by giving him the name revealed by the angel and taking Mary into his home to be his wife, he has assumed the role and mission of being the indispensable link to the line of David, to which the Messiah must belong.
From the beginning, the first Holy Mass for Christmas has kept its character as a celebration ‘near the crèche.’ Little children know by heart the story of Jesus’ birth in the manger at Bethlehem. They never tire of hearing it retold. In their drawings of it, they leave out no-one, rather, they add figures, certainly the result of inspiration and holy imagination. It seems to them quite natural to introduce into the scene, people, animals, and objects from their own world. In fact, they often put themselves centre stage. Childlike naïveté? Perhaps. But also, it is undeniably a spontaneous understanding of the mystery. Whatever the case, the story of the Nativity, is not a Christmas fairytale, but an authentic passage from the Gospel.
All Luke’s writings that are clearly intended to announce something have been written from beginning to end according to certain standards that the author makes known to us:
‘Many have undertaken to complete a narrative of the events which have been fulfilled in our midst, precisely as those events were transmitted to us by the original eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. I too, have carefully traced the whole sequence of events from the beginning, and have decided to set it in writing for you, Theophilus, so your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.’ So begins Lukes Gospel. (Lk 1:1-4) Luke takes care to place Jesus’ birth in a general timeframe by placing it at the time of the census that ‘took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.’ In doing so, Luke makes it clear from the story’s first words that the event he is writing about has a particular meaning. This sets the tone for the sacredness of the events. It is the census call that requires Joseph to go ‘from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Davids town of Bethlehem — because he was of the house and lineage of David — to register with Mary, his espoused wife, who was with child. While they were there the days of her confinement were completed. She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the Inn.’ This is why Jesus is not born in Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary lived, but in Judea, in Bethlehem, ‘the city of David.’ The conditions surrounding his birth have an aura of danger and poverty that should not be misunderstood or minimised. True other women have given birth in similar conditions of danger and poverty especially in those days; although even today, similar situations occur in war torn countries — or refugee camps.
From the moment of his birth the angels proclaimed his glory: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’ And the infant King: ‘Though he was in the form of God, he humbled himself so that we might become rich by his poverty.’ What extraordinary paradoxes! In Bethlehem, everything happens in silence and humility. In quite extraordinary contrast, and not far from there — ‘in the locality,’ — the heavens shine forth with light, while the earth echoes with songs of praise and the glory of the Lord encompasses those whom he loves. The Good News is brought to certain Shepherds by ‘the angel of the Lord’ the appointed messenger of salvation. The Choir of the multitude ‘of heavenly host’that sings the praises of God, calls to mind those assemblies of worship that glorify the Lord with hymns and psalms, and we are reminded of the prophetic promises, which are fulfilled on this night. The Shepherds receive a sign that allows them to discover and recognise the Saviour: ‘an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes…. Lying in a manger.’ Ironic — or prophetic? — The manger; a place where the food of animals is put for them to feed — the birthplace of our Blessed Saviour who would one day be our spiritual food in the Eucharist! Accident or design? In the announcement to the Shepherds, Christians can see the image of Christ the Shepherd come to seek out and gather his lost sheep. Having seen the child in Bethlehem, the Shepherds ‘glorified and praised God.’
Christians have heard about and meditated on the child born in a Bethlehem stable — he who is the ‘Son of God’ who is ‘Invincible love’— the ‘Wonder Counsellor’ — he who is ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Life’ the ‘Prince of Peace’ and ‘King of Kings’ who has reconciled us with God. He is ‘The Word — who in the beginning was with God.’ He the ‘Word who was God … and through him all things came to be.’ He the ‘Word made flesh who lived among us and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father full of grace and truth.’
The birth of the Son of God made flesh is the dawn of salvation that will shine forth in all its splendour in the glorious manifestation of the Lord — the epiphany in glory — at the assembling of the saved. This light that bursts forth on Christmas begins our march toward the light of eternity. With the birth of Jesus, God brings history to its end. Salvation history enters its final phrase: ‘a light will shine on this day: the Lord is born for us.’
As we kneel before the crib contemplating the blessed scene, let us remember the Lord’s Nativity and its celebration cannot be disassociated from the rest of the mystery of salvation. The prophets, ‘in fragmentary and varied ways’ announce the decisive intervention of God. The birth in flesh of his own Son strikes these promises home to us in an unfathomable way. God’s Son is born to make known to us the unseen God. He is to die on the cross, be gloriously resurrected, and communicate to us the fullness of his life. To grasp the meaning and importance of the Christmas event and to enter into its dynamism, we must try to encompass, in one great overview, the whole history of salvation, from the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, to the end, at the second coming of Christ, when all who are saved will be assembled in the heavenly Jerusalem.
But for now, rejoice for:
‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord.’
HAPPY CHRISTMAS.
