Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity - Christmas Mass During the Night ‘B’

Christmas is the feast of God’s sending us a Savior, Jesus, the Incarnation of God as man, came to save us from the bondage of sin. The Christian Scriptures teach that there was only one Incarnation of God. John 3:16 states: “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” We celebrate that Incarnation today as Good News because we have a Divine Savior. Every Christmas reminds us that we still need this Savior to be reborn in our hearts and to live there, for we need Him every day to free us from our evil habits, addictions and unjust, impure and uncharitable tendencies. And so, Christmas challenges us to accept Jesus our as our Lord our God and our personal Savior and to surrender our lives to Him, allowing Him to rule our lives.

Christmas is also the feast of God’s sharing His love with us. Jesus, as our Savior, brought the “good news” that our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful and rewarding God who wants to save us through His Son Jesus and not a judgmental, cruel, and punishing God. Jesus demonstrated by His life and teaching how God loves us, forgives us, and provides for us. All His miracles were signs of this Divine Love. Jesus’ final demonstration of God’s love for us was His death on the cross and the institution of the Holy Eucharist. Let us allow Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives today and every day and radiate his light around us, as sharing and selfless love, compassionate words and deeds, unconditional forgiveness, the spirit of humble service and overflowing generosity.

Christmas is the feast of the Emmanuel because God in the New Testament is God-with-us, Emmanuel, Who continues to live with us in all the events of our lives as announced by the angel to Mary. Because God is with us, we are not alone. There is a mighty God within us to strengthen us in our weaknesses and temptations. As Emmanuel, Jesus lives in the Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in the praying community, and in each believer, with the Holy Spirit Who is transforming us daily into the "Temples of the Holy Spirit.”

Each Christmas reminds us that we are bearers of God with the missionary duty of conveying Jesus to others around us by loving others as Jesus did, through humble and committed service. Sharing with others Jesus, the Emmanuel living within us, is the best Christmas gift we can give to, or receive from others.