Christmas 2015, Week 1

Friday, December 25th, Christmas Day.

Lots of reading options for this holy day.  You can pick your three favorites for your journal.  Or do more if you are feeling ambitious!  The more readings you cover, the more visible do the Christmas themes and symbols become!

VIGIL

Is. 62: 1–5——{J3: J4, L4: G5, L2}: The coming of Christ produces a transformation of the people of the Church that is associated with the symbols of coronation and marriage.

Acts 13: 16–17, 22–25——{J3:L1}: John the Baptist preached a “baptism of repentance,” which prepared the way for the Savior Jesus Christ.

Mt. 1: 1–25——{J3:J1}: the genealogy of Christ plus the annunciation to Joseph

MIDNIGHT MASS

Is. 9: 1–6——{J3:L4, G1}: Christ’s coming brings light to the world and a salvation that is a new life of freedom from oppression.

Tit. 2: 11–14——{J3:L3:L1}: Christ “delivers us from [the oppression/burden] of lawlessness [sin/disorder]” and, to this end, trains us to reject our “worldly desires and to live . . . devoutly.”  Compare this deliverance to the one in Is. 9.

Lk. 2: 1–14——J3: the census; J1: the annunciation to the shepherds

DAWN

Is. 62: 11–12——{J3—–>J4:L4, G1}: Christ’s coming produces a new and transformed Church.

Tit. 3: 4–7——{J3: L1:L2:L5}: Christ saves us through the sacraments: “the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  Verse 3 explains that we are saved from concupiscence: a  disordered human nature which manifests itself as a form of mental disorder.  An extremely important Bible passage.

Lk. 2: 15–20——J3:  The shepherds go to Bethlehem to see the Christ-Infant announced to them by the Angels.

DAYTIME

Is. 52: 7–10——{J3: J4, G1}: The coming of Christ rebuilds the Church. He creates a new Church

Heb. 1: 1–6——{J3: L1}: The coming of Christ “accomplished [the] purification from sins.”

Jn. 1: 1–18——{J3: L4}: The coming of Christ brought “grace and truth” (whereas Moses brought the law).  And Christ, the Word of God, is the light of the world that “enlightens everyone,”  that give us the grace, truth, and “power to become children of God.”