{"id":5429,"date":"2013-12-25T04:40:16","date_gmt":"2013-12-25T04:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicpreaching.com\/?p=5429"},"modified":"2013-12-25T06:42:48","modified_gmt":"2013-12-25T06:42:48","slug":"walking-seeing-living-and-rejoicing-in-the-great-light-of-christ-christmas-midnight-mass-december-25-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/walking-seeing-living-and-rejoicing-in-the-great-light-of-christ-christmas-midnight-mass-december-25-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking, Seeing, Living and Rejoicing in the Great Light of Christ, Christmas Midnight Mass, December 25, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fr. Roger J. Landry
\nSt. Bernadette Parish, Fall River, MA
\nChristmas Midnight Mass
\n<\/span>December 25, 2013
\nIs 9:1-6, Ps 96, Tit 2:11-14, Lk 2:1-14<\/p>\n

To listen to an audio recording of this homily, please\u00a0click below:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The text that guided the homily was:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Pope Francis’ Midnight Mass ‘Obsession’<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of my prayerful preparation for Christmas, I read all of Pope Francis\u2019 Christmas homilies from the time he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. In almost all of his Midnight Mass homilies he pondered the prophet Isaiah\u2019s words from tonight\u2019s first reading: \u201cThe people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.\u201d It\u2019s unsurprising therefore that earlier tonight in the Vatican, when he had the chance to preach for the first time as the successor of St. Peter and the holy father of Catholics throughout the globe, that he returned to contemplate much more deeply what that famous phrase means and what reaction it\u2019s meant to provoke in all of us.<\/p>\n

The prophecy of Isaiah, he says, \u201cnever ceases to touch us, especially when we hear it proclaimed in the liturgy of Christmas Night.\u201d He said this reaction is far more than an \u201cemotional or sentimental matter.\u201d It touches us because it states two fundamental realities of what we means to be a believer, a follower of the Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n

A people walking<\/b><\/p>\n

First, it means that we are a \u201cpeople who walk.\u201d Life is a journey, a pilgrimage in which, like Abraham, we leave our own comfort zones and make an expedition toward the promised land. We don\u2019t make this journey alone. Christ comes not only to accompany us but to guide us. The journey takes place in the midst of darkness and light around us and within us. But we keep journeying together with Christ, the Good Shepherd, who guides us through the valley of darkness with his comforting rod and staff. Tonight is a night that is meant to strengthen us to keep going on that journey no matter how thick the darkness, and if we\u2019ve gone of the side of the road, to get back on the path with Christ that leads to what he became man in order to win for us once and for all. We are a people who are walking, who are searching, who are moving, but because of the coming of Christ, we are no longer walking like blind men. We are walking together with a guide, specifically a guide that leads us toward the second part of what Isaiah reveals.<\/p>\n

A people seeing the light<\/strong><\/p>\n

The prophet tells us that we are not only a people on the move but one to whom God has revealed his light. The people who walk together with Christ through the dark valley eventually see a \u201cgreat light.\u201d St. John says about the child born today that he is \u201cthe light of the human race, the light shining in the darkness, which the darkness has not overcome\u201d (Jn 1:4-5). Christ is the light of the world and he has come to illumine our lives and our journey. In tonight\u2019s Gospel, St. Luke tells us that when the angels appeared, \u201cthe glory of the Lord shone around them.\u201d They were filled with the light that comes from God and it was in that light that they were able to journey toward Bethlehem. The light of God is the glory of God, in whom there is no darkness. That\u2019s how Titus is able to tell us in the second reading in Christ, the \u201cgrace of God has appeared,\u201d because Christ is the \u201cappearance of the glory of our great God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The practical consequences of the gift of God’s light<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pope Francis tells us that there are many practical consequences to this light. Christ came not as a sparkle that would eventually fizzle out but as an inextinguishable flame to illumine all our ways until that kingdom where there will be unending light. The Holy Father said that in our lives, \u201cthere are times of both light and darkness, fidelity and infidelity, obedience, and rebellion; times of being a pilgrim people and times of being a people adrift . In our personal history too, there are both bright and dark moments, lights and shadows.\u201d Quoting the Apostle St. John, he reminds us, \u201cIf we love God and our brothers and sisters, we walk in the light; but if our heart is closed, if we are dominated by pride, deceit, self-seeking, then darkness falls within us and around us. \u2018Whoever hates his brother \u2013 writes the Apostle John \u2013 is in the darkness; he walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has blinded his eyes\u201d (1 Jn 2:11).\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus has come into the world to help open our hearts toward true love of our neighbor. But it order to love him, we need God\u2019s help. That\u2019s what we pray for in this Mass. In the Opening Prayer, we turned to God who has made \u201cthis most sacred night radiant with the splendor of the true light\u201d to grant us \u201cwho have known the mysteries of his light on earth\u201d so to walk in that light that we may \u201cdelight in his gladness in heaven.\u201d The path toward that communion with God is indicated to us in the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer we will pray in a few minutes. We talk first about Christ\u2019s manifestation of grace and light and what that\u2019s supposed to provoke in us. \u201cFor on the feast of this awe-filled mystery,\u201d we will chant, \u201cthough invisible in his own divine nature, [Christ your Son] has appeared visibly in ours\u00a0\u2026so that, raising up in himself all that was cast down, he might restore unity to all creation and call straying humanity back to the heavenly kingdom.\u201d The same point is made in the first part of the tri-partite benediction with which God will bless us at the end of this Mass. \u201cMay the God of infinite goodness, who by the Incarnation of his Son has driven darkness from the world and by that glorious Birth has illumined this most holy night, drive from you the darkness of vice and illumine your hearts with the light of virtue.\u201d<\/p>\n

If we receive Christ\u2019s light tonight, if we resolve to walk in it as children of the light and seek to see all things in its luminescence, then all our behavior changes. The light switch of our life is turned on<\/em> and we make the Passover from the night of vice into the broad daylight of virtue.<\/p>\n

The light switch of humble service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pope Francis talked about this on Wednesday in his general audience talk to a packed St. Peter\u2019s Square. He said that the light of this Christmas mystery reveals that God is not one \u201cwho remains on high and dominates the universe, but as the One who bends down, descends to the little and poor earth.\u201d To be like him therefore, to see what he sees, to walk with him and in his footsteps, \u201cwe should not put ourselves above others, but indeed lower ourselves, place ourselves at the service of others, [and] become small with the small and poor with the poor.\u201d Pope Francis says that it is \u201cregrettable to see a Christian who does not want to lower himself, who does not want to serve. \u2026 This is not Christian. It is pagan. The Christian serves, he lowers himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The light switch that helps us to see Christ in others<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second thing we see with the clarity of the light of Christ is that \u201cif God, through Jesus, involved himself with man to the point of becoming one of us, it means that whatever we have done to a brother or a sister we have done to him. Jesus himself reminded us of this: whoever has fed, welcomed, visited, loved one of the least and poorest of men, will have done it to the Son of God.\u201d When we are looking at things as they really are with the light of Christ, we begin to see him in others, including in those whom the world seldom notices.<\/p>\n

The light switch we see in the Shepherds<\/strong><\/p>\n

The third thing comes from how we look at ourselves and what is truly important. Earlier tonight, Pope Francis contemplated why the shepherds were the first ones to receive the good news of great joy and be invited to go see the manifestation of the \u201cappearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.\u201d He said that they were first because they were \u201camong the last, the outcast,\u201d the nobodies of society, and God always exalts the humble. The second reason is \u201cbecause they were awake, keeping watch in the night, guarding their flocks.\u201d To see the light, we obviously have to be awake, alert, and ready for the Lord\u2019s appearance and action. We can\u2019t see the Lord while we\u2019re asleep. That\u2019s one of the reasons why Midnight Mass is so important. Even if we come here on a given night when we\u2019re tired, we\u2019re being trained to say that God is worth staying up for. If so many stay up to see a silly ball descend in Times Square in one week\u2019s time, then Christians can stay up to see the glory of God descend from heaven to earth. The practice of rearranging everything, including our normal sleep patterns, to come to celebrate God is a spiritual practice that can help us to remain alert always, so that when the Lord appears in all his light even in the midst of darkness, we may be ready to go with haste to greet him with love.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.\u201d That prophecy, fulfilled two millennia ago when Christ was born, is continually realized in every age. There\u2019s a beautiful significance to the fact that during the Christmas season we put lights \u2014 and often hundreds of them or more \u2014\u00a0on our trees, in our windows, on our houses, in our Churches, even on city light posts. The light that we receive we feel moved to share. Once we\u2019ve seen the light we want others to experience the same totally different way of experiencing the gift of human life. Christ came into the world precisely to illumine our minds, hearts and ways so that we might in turn become the light of the world (Mt 5:14), lights far more brilliant than anything electricity can power. Today we celebrate that Christ, the true light, has taken on our nature, so that our whole humanity can shine with the radiance of his divinity.<\/p>\n

Becoming Stars of Fall River<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we prepare to make present on the altar the enduring meaning of Christmas, when the same Jesus whom the shepherds adored in humble swaddling clothes comes to us even more humbly under the appearance of bread and wine, when the Lord who was placed in the manger will be placed within us, let us remember that we are ingesting The light of the World who is capable not only of enlightening all our ways from the inside but also making us not Stars of Bethlehem but Stars of Fall River drawing others to come to adore Christ the Lord where he continues to love, guide and save his people. O Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!<\/p>\n

The readings for the Mass were:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Reading 1
\nIS 9:1-6<\/a><\/h4>\n
The people who walked in darkness
\nhave seen a great light;
\nupon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
\na light has shone.
\nYou have brought them abundant joy
\nand great rejoicing,
\nas they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
\nas people make merry when dividing spoils.
\nFor the yoke that burdened them,
\nthe pole on their shoulder,
\nand the rod of their taskmaster
\nyou have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
\nFor every boot that tramped in battle,
\nevery cloak rolled in blood,
\nwill be burned as fuel for flames.
\nFor a child is born to us, a son is given us;
\nupon his shoulder dominion rests.
\nThey name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
\nFather-Forever, Prince of Peace.
\nHis dominion is vast
\nand forever peaceful,
\nfrom David\u2019s throne, and over his kingdom,
\nwhich he confirms and sustains
\nby judgment and justice,
\nboth now and forever.
\nThe zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Responsorial Psalm
\nPS 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13<\/a><\/h4>\n
R. (Lk 2:11)\u00a0Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
\nSing to the LORD a new song;
\nsing to the LORD, all you lands.
\nSing to the LORD; bless his name.
\nR.\u00a0Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
\nAnnounce his salvation, day after day.
\nTell his glory among the nations;
\namong all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
\nR.\u00a0Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
\nLet the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
\nlet the sea and what fills it resound;
\nlet the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
\nThen shall all the trees of the forest exult.
\nR.\u00a0Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
\nThey shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
\nfor he comes to rule the earth.
\nHe shall rule the world with justice
\nand the peoples with his constancy.
\nR.\u00a0Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.<\/p>\n

Reading 2
\nTI 2:11-14<\/a><\/h4>\n

Beloved:
\nThe grace of God has appeared, saving all
\nand training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
\nand to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
\nas we await the blessed hope,
\nthe appearance of the glory of our great God
\nand savior Jesus Christ,
\nwho gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
\nand to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
\neager to do what is good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Gospel
\nLK 2:1-14<\/a><\/h4>\n
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
\nthat the whole world should be enrolled.
\nThis was the first enrollment,
\nwhen Quirinius was governor of Syria.
\nSo all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
\nAnd Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
\nto Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
\nbecause he was of the house and family of David,
\nto be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
\nWhile they were there,
\nthe time came for her to have her child,
\nand she gave birth to her firstborn son.
\nShe wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
\nbecause there was no room for them in the inn.Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
\nand keeping the night watch over their flock.
\nThe angel of the Lord appeared to them
\nand the glory of the Lord shone around them,
\nand they were struck with great fear.
\nThe angel said to them,
\n\u201cDo not be afraid;
\nfor behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
\nthat will be for all the people.
\nFor today in the city of David
\na savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
\nAnd this will be a sign for you:
\nyou will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
\nand lying in a manger.\u201d
\nAnd suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
\npraising God and saying:
\n\u201cGlory to God in the highest
\nand on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fr. Roger J. Landry St. Bernadette Parish, Fall River, MA Christmas Midnight Mass December 25, 2013 Is 9:1-6, Ps 96, Tit 2:11-14, Lk 2:1-14 To listen to an audio recording of this homily, please\u00a0click below:\u00a0   The text that guided the homily was:\u00a0 Pope Francis’ Midnight Mass ‘Obsession’ As part of my prayerful preparation for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3627,1063,3,6],"tags":[3979,3970,3972,3976,466,3810,3971,2443,3975,468,1700,2440,2121,3977,3978,3974,704,2442,3973],"class_list":["post-5429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2013-2014","category-audio-homily","category-homily","category-year-a","tag-awake","tag-buenos-aires","tag-darkness","tag-humble-service","tag-is-91-6","tag-isaiah","tag-light","tag-light-of-the-world","tag-light-switch","tag-lk-21-14","tag-pope-francis","tag-ps-96","tag-seeing","tag-seeing-christ-in-others","tag-shepherds","tag-star-of-bethlehem","tag-tit-211-14","tag-vigilance","tag-walking"],"yoast_head":"\nWalking, Seeing, Living and Rejoicing in the Great Light of Christ, Christmas Midnight Mass, December 25, 2013 - Catholic Preaching<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/walking-seeing-living-and-rejoicing-in-the-great-light-of-christ-christmas-midnight-mass-december-25-2013\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Walking, Seeing, Living and Rejoicing in the Great Light of Christ, Christmas Midnight Mass, December 25, 2013 - Catholic Preaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fr. 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Landry St. Bernadette Parish, Fall River, MA Christmas Midnight Mass December 25, 2013 Is 9:1-6, Ps 96, Tit 2:11-14, Lk 2:1-14 To listen to an audio recording of this homily, please\u00a0click below:\u00a0   The text that guided the homily was:\u00a0 Pope Francis’ Midnight Mass ‘Obsession’ As part of my prayerful preparation for […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/walking-seeing-living-and-rejoicing-in-the-great-light-of-christ-christmas-midnight-mass-december-25-2013\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic Preaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-12-25T04:40:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-12-25T06:42:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/DefaultImage-FB.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fr. 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