January 1, 2014

The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Lectionary: 18
Reading 1 NM 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”

In the Old Testament, the Levites were the official priests. In the New Testament, we are all priests. Although we have a ministerial priesthood, everyone was baptized his priests, prophet and king. Therefore, we are all empowered to pass on God's blessing.

Responsorial Psalm PS 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R/ (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

R/ May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.

R/ May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R/ May God bless us in his mercy.

Let us pray for our country that we may all turn to God and do good towards men. In this way God will continue to shine his light upon us and continue to shed his blessings.

Reading 2 GAL 4:4-7

Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come,

The fullness of time – I think that's a reference to the length of time which God had set aside until the coming of Jesus Christ.

God sent his Son,

God sent his son – of course, this refers to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the son of God in the sense that he proceeds from the Father in eternity. He is also the son of God in the sense that he was engendered by the Holy Spirit, the third person of the holy Trinity, in Mary's womb.

born of a woman,

The woman is of course, Mary. This is why Mary is referred to as the ark of the new covenant. Because she bore within her womb, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the bread of life, our high priest.

born under the law,

Jesus Christ was born under the law of Moses.

to ransom those under the law,

When Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died upon the cross, he paid for the sins committed in the Old Testament. See Hebrews 9:15.

so that we might receive adoption as sons.

St. Paul leaves a great deal out between these two thoughts. Jesus Christ was born in order to die and ransom those faithful people who died in their sins in the Old Testament. That's the first thought.

So that we might receive adoption as sons, that's the second thought. Jesus Christ accomplished the first, the redemption of those who died in the Old Testament, by descending to the dead and bringing them into heaven  (1 Peter 3:18-20; Hebrews 11:39-40). He accomplished the second thought, our adoption as sons, by establishing the sacraments. It is in the sacrament of baptism that we receive the adoption of the Father (John 3:3; Col 2:12).

As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.

Because we are sons of God, members of the body of Christ, we need not be shy about calling out to the Father, indeed Our Father. By our adoption, we now walk upon Mount Zion mingling with the spirits of men made perfect by the love of God (Hebrews 12:21-24). 

Gospel LK 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.

  The Angels had appeared to shepherds and sent them in search of the child in the manger.

When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.

When they arrived, the shepherds told everyone about the message they had received from heaven.

All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.

All were amazed at the shepherds words. But the humble maiden, Mary, did not brag or boast, but kept all those things in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

Then the shepherds went home glorifying God because everything the Angels had revealed was true.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day in order to obey the commands of Moses. And he was given the name Jesus in obedience to the command of the angel.