THE BIRTH OF THE LORD – Midnight Mass
LIGHT FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN DARKNESS
The darkness covered the abyss when “God said, let there be light” (Gen 1:2-3). Light is the first word that God speaks in the Bible. That word marks the beginning of creation(Gen 1:3). And since “God saw that the light was good” (Gen 1:4), man has never stopped loving her, searching for her, whereas he is afraid and shies away from darkness. Darknessrecalls death and from it, one wants to escape.
He who is born comes to the light, who dies goes toward the land of the deepest night (Job 10:21). “God—Job says—uncovers the deepest recesses and brings the deep darkness into light” (Job 12:22). In the biblical conception, darkness is only a temporary light condition; it is destined to become light.
God is light and permeates his every creature with light: in the poetic image of Isaiah the dew becomes dew of light (Is 26:19); even the clouds, yet so dark and menacing, are laden with light that shines forth, suddenly, when the lightning flashes (Job 37:15).
We celebrate the Christmas liturgy during the night to reproduce, meaningfully, the darkness dispelled by the Word of the Creator, the darkness of the human conditionbrightened by the coming of the Savior.
“On those who live in darkness, the light of a Child shines.”
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!
The reading begins with the image of light: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” The prophet speaks these words in a dramatic moment in the history of Israel. The Assyrians have just set fire to Galilee and Samaria, shedding blood and terror everywhere. The country is full of darkness and the shadow of death (v. 1) when Isaiah intervenes in the name of the Lord to proclaim peace and instill hope. A day of joy and jubilation is coming up.
To describe the immense joy aroused by the appearance of this light, the prophet introduces two comparisons related to the culture and experience of his people. The first is from the life of the peasants, the other from the experience of war just ended. The people will rejoice, as do the farmers at the end of the harvest and the harvesting of grapes when the granaries are full, and the vats overflow with new wine. They will be happy as the soldiers are when they divide the spoil (v. 2). What is the reason for this celebration? The war ended—it is true—but another one could break out. The momentary interruption of Assyrian oppression is not enough to justify the explosion ofjoy. In an exciting crescendo, three reasons are put forward.
The First: “For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, you have broken it as on the day of Midian” (v. 3). It is the announcement of the end of all forms of slavery. The Lord will intervene on behalf of his people as he did at Midian, where the Israelites did not even have to fight against their oppressors. God puts them to flight, causing panic in their camp (Jdg 7:16-23). Rejoice—says the prophet—because an even more amazing liberation will take place. Pride, the frenzy of power, success and domination, the greed for property will disappear. There will be no more abuse and corruption.
Second: “Every warrior’s boot that tramped in war, every cloak rolled in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the fire” (v. 4). A precarious truce will not be stipulated, but the irrevocable end of all wars will be declared. The weapons and all objects that reference violence and the use of force will be given as fuel to the fire.
The third reason for joy is a child's birth who will introduce freedom and peace to the world (vv. 5-6). “A child is born for us; a son is given to us.” According to the biblical language, the verb in the passive shows that it is God who offers; he is sent from heaven. It will be a child with exceptional qualities. He accumulates extraordinary features that characterized and made famous his best ancestors. He will be a father to his people, as were the patriarchs, loyalty models, and attachment to their God. He will be brave like David, a “strong warrior like a god” (Zec 12:8) He will be able to protect his people against any foe. He will be wise as Solomon. He will be a “wonderful counselor.” He shall speak only sensible and prudent words of reconciliation, love and kindness, words that always inspire confidence and hope (1 K 12). He will be the prince of peace. He will not prevent armed conflict with the force of a powerful army, with the fear of punishment and retaliation, but will act on the causes of wars. He will cause social tensions, prevarications,and abuses to disappear. His kingdom will consolidate itself through “justice and the law”and not by cunning, deceit and dirty politics.
Mysterious prophecy! It is not easy to tell which child Isaiah is talking about. He certainly thinks of a Davidic dynasty’s descendant, perhaps Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz. But Hezekiah was just a good man ... nothing exceptional. There never was a king in Israel’s history that corresponded fully to this prophecy; in fact, there was no one who even vaguely resembled him. To this, it must be added that, in 598 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar took prisoner and deported Joachim to Babylon, who was the last descendant of David. He thereby put an end to the dynasty that had reigned in Jerusalem for four hundred years.Was Isaiah, therefore, being deceived?
The people of Israel never entertained this doubt. It cultivated the unwavering faith that God does not lie, and it had learned to wait patiently. Even in the most challenging and dramatic moments in its history, it did not lose hope and did not doubt God’s faithfulness.
One day, the old man Simeon—a symbol of all those who remained faithful to God and his people—will bless God and take the child sent from heaven to enlighten the Gentiles (Lk 2:25-28). God has kept his promise but has not gone along with people'sexpectations, petty desires, and innocent dreams. He caught everyone by surprise: he sent a fragile, weak, humble, helpless child. Yet it is from him that peace, like an unstoppable river, spills onto the world (Is 66:12).
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.
“For the grace of God has appeared!”—says the author of the Letter to Titus.
It is an irrepressible cry of joy for what God has already accomplished by sending his Soninto the world. Grace is a biblical term that indicates the tenderness, love, and goodnessof God. This benevolence of God was made visible, was manifested in Jesus to proclaim salvation to all people (v. 11).
If on this holy night the Son of God were to come down from heaven to announce a message of salvation for the good, for those who faithfully keep the commandments, we would not have reason to rejoice; a new light would not bathe us. We heard that what had been reiterated for centuries had been repeated: those who respect the law of Mosesand his precepts are loved by God; all others are vile and base. The joy, instead, becomesoverwhelming when we realize that the Son of God ‘brings’ salvation for all people. Wegot it right: salvation for all because it is grace, a gift, and does not depend on our faithfulness but his.
The reading goes on, showing the moral consequences of this manifestation of God’s goodness (vv. 12-14). For a long time, it was thought that the fear of God would be the best deterrent to prevent evil and push people to do good. It was a poor pedagogical choice. This fear has never produced anything good and was the cause of a pathological condition and abandonment of faith. Only by contemplating the love of God do peoplelearn “to reject an irreligious way of life and worldly greed and to live in this world as responsible persons, upright and serving God” (v. 12).
Grace also instills hope. "Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" will certainly manifest himself (v. 13); the renewal of everyone's life will take place, even if adherence to his proposal of Love may be delayed.
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.”
It is almost inevitable that we listen to the Gospel passage proposed in this night conditioned by the Christmas atmosphere around us: sparkling Christmas trees, sounds of bagpipes, snow, shepherds. We may even let ourselves be overcome by emotion. It’s not a bad thing, but this passage is not written to move, nor even to give information about the birth of Jesus. If that were the case, we would be right to complain about Luke being too scant in detail.
It was composed, probably, after the rest of the Gospel had already been written. It isa page of theology that acts as a wonderful prelude to the rest of the work, presenting what the Christians of the first generation, led by the Spirit, understood of the Lord Jesus, dead and risen.
The passage begins with a precise historical and geographic context. It is the time in which Caesar Augustus reigns in Rome. The prince is known throughout the empire for his ‘courage, gentleness, compassion and justice.’ It is he who, after the endless horrors of civil war, has finally restored peace everywhere. It is the golden age of Roman history,sung by Virgil. In a famous inscription dated in the year 9 A.D. at Priene, in Asia Minor, it is written that the year begins on September 23, the birthday of Augustus so that ‘everyone can consider this event as the origin of his life and existence, as the time when there is no need for one to cry over his birth. In giving us Augustus, Divine Providence has sent to us and those who will come after us a savior who will end wars and rearrange everything.The birthday of the god (Augustus) is the beginning of glad tidings for the world (lit.‘gospels’) through him.’
It is the time of the census of all the earth. From the point of view of history, the census presents many difficulties, but in Luke, it takes on a definite theological significance. It serves him to declare solemnly that the Son of God has entered into the history of the universe and has become a world citizen.
Then it indicates the place where Jesus is born: Bethlehem, a city (actually a village of shepherds) in the mountains of Judea. Luke emphasizes that “Joseph belonged, being a descendant of his, to the house of David” and that he journeyed with Mary to “Judea, to David’s town of Bethlehem” (v. 4). The reference to this site is important because it is from Bethlehem that the people were waiting for the Messiah (Jn 7:40-43). The prophet Micah had announced: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah … from you shall rise the one who is to rule over Israel” (Mic 5:1). With these historical and geographical records, Luke also wants to say that the birth of the Savior is not a myth to be relegated to the world of fairy tales—but is a real and concrete event.
“While they were in Bethlehem,” Mary gave birth to her “firstborn” son. Mary acts like all mothers, and Luke mentions her caring and attentive gestures: she wraps the child and lays him in a manger. There is no miracle. The birth of Jesus is identical to that of any other man. Luke is indicating that since his first appearance in this world, Jesus shares our human condition.
“There was no place for them in the inn.” If one keeps in mind that hospitality is sacred in the Orient, it is unlikely that Mary and Joseph are forced to find shelter in a cave because all the families of the place reject them. The term used in the original text does not refer to the hotel or the caravanserai but to a room (probably the only one) of the house where Joseph and Mary were received. It was not fitting that the birth should happen in a room that did not offer a minimum of privacy (this is the meaning of the expression, ‘there was no place for them’). As what usually happened to the poor women in labor in all of Palestine, Mary was introduced into the inner, hidden recess of the dwelling, one where animals were kept.
Although the Gospel text does not speak of the ox and the ass, which have been suggested to popular piety by a text from Isaiah: “The ox knows its master and the ass its owner’s manger” (Is 1:3), it is not unlikely that they were there.
Luke emphasizes these details to show that God—as he is wont to do—subverts the values and criteria of this world. The God whom people, even today, expect is strong and terrible, capable of spreading panic and gaining respect. But such an image is not God; it is a superstition. It is the projection of our petty dreams of greatness and power. The God manifested in Jesus is precisely the opposite: weak, helpless and trembling, who trusts himself in the hands of a woman. This is not a passing moment of his revelation, an unhappy parenthesis waiting to resume his dazzling splendor and all his might. In Jesuslying in the manger, the true, eternal God, “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23), is instead present.
The scene changes entirely in the second part of today’s gospel (vv. 8-14). We are no longer in the privacy of a house but outside, in the fields, and the characters are shepherds and angels.
“Shepherds were camping in the countryside, taking turns to watch over their flock by night.” What is important here is to identify who are the first to recognize the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger as Savior, Messiah, and long-awaited Son of David, are the shepherds. Why just them? It is not because they were better prepared spiritually—quite the contrary. The shepherds were not simple, good, innocent, honest folks, respected by all. They were listed among the most impure of people, and there were good reasons to consider them as such. They led a life not significantly different from that of the beasts. They could not enter the temple to pray. They were not allowed to testify in a tribunal because they were considered unreliable, untruthful, dishonest, thieves and violent. The Rabbis taught that the shepherds, tax collectors, and publicans would find salvation almost impossible. Their lives were so evil; they had done so much harm and robbed so many people that they could not keep count of what they stole and therefore could never return what they had stolen. So they were destined to perdition.
But the heavenly messenger is sent to them: “I am here to give you good news, great joy for all the people. Today a Savior has been born to you in David’s town. He is the Messiah and the Lord” (vv. 10-11). The words of the angel echo the inscription of Priene. It was not Augustus—Luke seems to imply—the savior who would flood the world with joy and establish peace. It’s not Augustus’ birth, but that of Jesus which marked the beginning of glad tidings received, thanks to him. Since his first appearance in the world,Jesus has been placed among the least of people. They, not the ‘righteous,’ expect from God a word of love, liberation, and hope.
Growing up, Jesus will continue to live next to these people. He will speak their simple language, use comparisons, parables and images taken from their world, participate in their joys and sufferings, and will always be on their side against anyone who attempts to marginalize them further.
The sign given to the shepherds to recognize the Savior is surprising and paradoxical. It is not said that they will find a baby wrapped in light, with the face of an angel, with a halo on his head, surrounded by the heavenly host. None of these: the sign is ... a completely normal child, with a familiar characteristic: He is poor and is among the poor.
The two groups we will find during Jesus’ life are already defined in the moment of his birth: on the one hand, the poor, the ignorant, the despised people who immediately recognize and welcome him with joy; on the other hand, the wise, the rich, the powerful, those who live isolated in their palaces, away from ordinary people and their problems and who are convinced they already possess all that can make them happy. They do not need a Savior. Indeed, a Messiah who does not meet their expectations, nor support their projects, or who is a person they are uncomfortable in dealing with, should be removed asquickly as possible from their midst.
The women who helped Mary during the stay of the Holy Family in Bethlehem observed that child. Still, they certainly didn’t realize that the history of the world would thenceforth be divided into two parts: before and after that birth.
READ: Mary and Joseph were simple, law-abiding people. They were poor, as were the shepherds, who came to share their company. In those times and in that place, they did not command much respect or even much notice.
REFLECT: The present-day struggle to achieve status is misconceived. God is not impressed by human prestige. How wasteful in our society is all the energy invested in climbing the social ladder. There are better things to which we could devote our time and effort.
PRAY: God, grant me the clarity of vision to see that all the exertion expended in achieving a high standing among my peers is, in the end, wasted effort. There are better, more worthwhile goals available to me.
ACT: Scrutinize your list of friends to see if it includes any people who are "just ordinary"in the eyes of the world.
