Commentary
Thursday evening, 12/24/2020, Nativity of the Lord, Vigil Mass
Rejoice, Christ Came to Make All Things New
First Reading Commentary: Isaiah 62:1-5
As we look at Isaiah’s prophecy, we are called to remember that the birth of Christ brought much more than His physical presence on earth. The prophecy of Isaiah is as much about the second coming of Christ as it is the first and Isaiah says that for the sake of Zion and Jerusalem, he will not be silent or quiet.
The very first thing that Isaiah says tells us that his prophecy is about the second coming because Christ was born in Bethlehem, not Zion or Jerusalem. But it is in Jerusalem that He would be condemned and sentenced to die on the cross and Revelation tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is the New Jerusalem.
The message in this prophecy is that Christ comes to make all things new and the events which Isaiah speaks of occur in John’s vision in the book of Revelation. The faithful shall be vindicated, receive glory and be given a new name which will be pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. No longer will the faithful be called “Forsaken,” or their land called “Desolate.”
Have you ever heard someone with a problem complain that God won’t do anything or say that God can’t do anything? Their faith is weak or non-existent and they believe that those who rely on God in faith are forsaken by God when they experience problems. But when Christ comes again, the faithful shall be called “My Delight” by God and their land shall be “Espoused.”
No more problems and no more worries for the faithful--only eternal peace and joy. But in order for Christ to have a second coming, He had to have a first. It is the first coming which we celebrate on Christmas Day as we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. Everything that Christ did during His life on earth was designed for His second coming and for the sake of our salvation so that we might enter the Kingdom and be with Him.
Isaiah draws a parallel between the marriage of Joseph and Mary and our entry into the Kingdom. Isaiah says, “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.”
Some people, especially men, have a tough time grasping the idea that when we enter heaven, we will enter as the Bride of Christ. But that is exactly what this prophecy from Isaiah says and it is confirmed in Revelation 19:7-8 and in Revelation 21.
Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Son through whom the Father created all things and Christ is our Savior (the Lamb who sacrificed Himself on the cross). Everyone of faith is an integral part of His Mystical Body and when we enter His Kingdom, each of us becomes an integral part of the bride of the Lamb.
God’s plan for our salvation began in Genesis 3:15 and the Nativity of the Lord is another critical part in God’s plan. Isaiah’s prophecy is about all of these things and by saying that he will not be silent or quiet, Isaiah is saying that he rejoices and God rejoices in our salvation.
On this day we call Christmas, we should rejoice, not only because it is the day that we celebrate the birth of Christ, but because God’s plan for our salvation takes another step forward in being fulfilled.
The Spirit of Peace and Good Will
Second Reading Commentary: Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
In Antioch, Paul stood up in the synagogue and said, “Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.” Remember that it was the Jews who persecuted Christ and there were still many Jews who would not accept Christ after His Resurrection. Remember also, that Paul was called, by Christ to evangelize the Gentiles. So, Paul was making it clear that what he was about to say was for those who were willing to listen, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Paul reminded the people of the Exodus and how God, through Moses, paved the way by parting the Red Sea by raising his arms and leading the Jews out of Egypt. This is important for us to remember as we celebrate the birth of Christ. In paving the way for us to make our exodus out of this life and into the next, Christ raised His arms on the cross and then defeated death with His Resurrection.
Then Paul seems to make a comparison between the kingship of David and the Kingship of Christ by saying that God raised up David as king and of David, God said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.” But as Paul continues, we see that he is really telling us that David was an instrumental part in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Christ. Paul says, “From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.”
Paul went on to speak of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Christ by proclaiming a baptism of repentance and Paul repeated what John said in his mission: “Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”
What Paul did was to give the people in the synagogue that day a history lesson designed to open their minds and hearts to accept Christ. The things that Paul said are important facts for us to remember as we celebrate this day because they encapsulate the reason, why Christ was born. Christ came in fulfillment of the Scriptures and prophecies to lead people from every nation on their exodus out of this life and into the next so that all people can be with Him in the Promised Land of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is the spirit of, “Peace on earth and good will to all men.”
The Son Became One of Us to Save Us
Gospel Commentary: Matthew 1:1-25
Matthew begins his gospel by giving the genealogy of Jesus beginning with Abraham. Unlike Luke, who begins his genealogy of Jesus with Adam, son of God, and only includes men, Matthew includes four women. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba who is mentioned as Solomon’s mother but not by name. All four women were Gentile. It is believed that Matthew includes these women to show that even though Jesus was born and raised as a Jew, the ancestry of Jesus includes Gentile heritage.
God is the Creator of all mankind so it makes sense that the Gentiles, who includes everyone who is not a Jew, would be included in the Son's genealogy. Also, by including these women, Matthew highlights the fact that there were less than perfect people within the ancestry of Jesus. Tamar was a harlot, Rahab posed as a harlot. Bathsheba was married to Uriah and became the mother of Solomon after being seduced by and committing adultery with David who then had Uriah killed.
What can we learn from all of this? First, there has never been and nor will there ever be a human-being to live on earth who is absolutely, perfect except for Christ Himself and that is because of His divinity.
Second, the genealogy of Jesus is not limited to one race of people and that is true for all of us. Therefore, Matthew, by showing the universality within the ancestry of Jesus, underscores the fact that Christ came for the salvation of all mankind and our brokenness does not stop God from making any of us a part of His plan.
The remainder of tonight’s Gospel is the story of why and how Joseph decided not to divorce Mary. The only thing that I would like to add to that account is that there should be no surprise at the scandal that could have been had if Joseph had decided to divorce Mary.
In fact, I believe that the reason, why the potential for such mayhem should capture our attention is because it magnifies the fact that Christ came to save a people who are in a state of chaos. He came to bring us out of our chaos by stepping into that chaos Himself.
Christ stepped into our chaos and defeated the death that it brings and so today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We give Him praise and by celebrating His nativity, we say, “Thank you.” This day is all about Jesus. This day is about the birth of the promises made by God through the prophets. Today is about the birth of the One who paves the way and is our Guiding Light to the Promised Land. Today is about the birth of the One who will bring “peace on earth and good will to all men.” Today is all about the Word becoming, Flesh. Merry Christmas!
