Midnight Mass of Christmas–Cycle A–2016
FIRST READING Isaiah 9:1-6
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
SECOND READING Titus 2:11-14
Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.
GOSPEL Luke 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
We are here in the darkness and yet there is light. God promises us that always there will be light when we walk with Him. That light is Jesus Himself, who is our light now and always. Jesus comes into the world to save us. Jesus comes as a human, as a baby—innocent and needing the care of his mother and family. Jesus who is God and almighty, becomes a baby and defenseless and vulnerable.
Christ is born for us! Christ is born to save the world! Christ is born to take on our humanity so that we can becomes partakers in His divinity. This is a wonderful mystery and there is no way in which we can understand it completely. It takes our whole lifetime to begin to understand a small part of it. It will take us all eternity to understand just a bit more.
The first reading for midnight Mass is always from Isaiah and begins like this: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” We don’t know how the gift of prophecy works. This great Prophet is able to see deeply into the present in such a way that it points to the future. You and I are invited to live the gift of the present deeply so that our present lives point to our future. Life is full of surprises. Those surprises will be gifts of grace and love in our future if we are living the present with our hearts set on God.
The second reading comes from the Letter to Titus. This reading teaches us to be aware that God has appeared and teaches us to live and to hope and to focus our lives completely on the Lord Jesus Christ. We humans tend to be inconsistent. We want to choose good but we waver and sometimes choose less than good and sometimes even choose what is evil. The way to live is to focus on the Lord Jesus and the mysteries of His life. It is easy for us in the middle of this night to rejoice in the mystery of the birth of Jesus. The challenge is to follow His light throughout every night and every day and to keep seeking until we die.
The Gospel tonight comes from Saint Luke. This account of the birth of Jesus can stay in our hearts and our minds. We need to be able to recall these images over and over. We can recall Joseph and Mary going to enroll in a census of the people. There was no room for them in a normal accommodation so they stay in a stable with animals. There Mary gives birth to Jesus and wraps Him up. The local shepherds and the angels of heaven recognize the birth of the Lord. Jesus is born in humble circumstances so that we can recognize the King of Heaven, the God over all, taking on our humanity. God humbles Himself and is born in a humble way.
This happens so that we can come to recognize the immense contrast of worldly power with the power of God, who acts in humble ways to draw us to Himself. It is not in power and might that we should look for the presence of God, but in the lowly and the humble. Once we begin to recognize this mystery of God’s presence, we also can say with the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
My sisters and brothers, Jesus is born for us, Christ takes on our flesh for us, God walks in our midst for us. Come, let us adore Him.
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip