25^th December – Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

General. The celebration of the Eucharist reminds us of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which could not have been accomplished other than through His incarnation. On this day, too, the Eucharist celebrates the same mysteries in which we intermingle our lives with that of Christ in his obedience to the Father, leading to giving up our lives for humanity and rising with Him, our elder brother, from the dead. Notes on the Gospel of the Mass of the Vigil

Isaiah. The whole world has today seen the salvation of the Lord who has come to take the reins of history in his hands. The Lord is back in Sion and has redeemed Jerusalem. God consoles his people and gives the Good Tidings that there is still hope in living according to His Word, who has been incarnated for all humanity.

Psalm. The Psalmist sings praise to God’s wonders in the mystery being celebrated today of the Incarnation of His son Jesus.

Hebrews. God has previously spoken to us in diverse manners through the history of His people and through His prophets, but mostly it has been to no avail. He then spoke to us through His only begotten Son, who was incarnated in history, becoming one of us so that he may burthen himself with our sins and thus save humanity.

St John. The Prologue to the Gospel according to St John highlights the role of the Word who was with God since the beginning. In commemorating today the beginning of Christ’s carnal life on earth, it is equally important to go back further to the beginning of time and beyond to recall the Trinitarian God which has no beginning and no end. Those of us who accept His existence in our lives are given the power also to become sons of God, as younger brothers of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Readings from the Church Fathers

Homilies Index Page - Liturgy of the Hours - Home

according to St Matthew

1 1, 1 book, roll – basically any writing or collection of writings incorporated in one body. The concept of writing (Semitic k-t-b to write, document, book) at the time meant a technical feat reserved for powerful and educated classes. The writing here, variably referred to as book or better translated as roll, refers to the genealogical list preceding the gospel account.

The author of the Mt gospel is an unknown Christian who lived in Antioch of Syria (present-day Antakya in Turkey) in about A.D. 90. He culled his information from basic themes developed by Mt before his martyrdom in the year 70. According to the Two-Source Hypothesis of the synoptic question, the themes were developed from the gospel of Mark, who also wrote before the year 70, and from a collection consisting almost entirely of the teachings and sayings of Jesus known as the Q-source.

1, 1 genealogy, generation – here establishing the royal descent of Jesus from David and Abraham, the two main portents of the messianic promise. The OT Hebrew toledoth (yalad, to beget) normally relates to a rendering of people and events, recounting the transmission of an important event from time to time and person to person. In this genealogy there exists a combination of dynastic, legal and natural succession, also applying elements of the levirate law. Paul makes reference to the Jewish custom of "endless genealogies" in 1 Tim.1,4.

1, 1 Jesus – a name conforming to God’s saving act for sinful humanity from the Hebrew Yehoshua, "God saves". The name is very similar to that of the prophet Isaiah, "salvation of God" and "God is salvation", who is widely quoted in the NT.

1, 1 Christ – a title from the Greek christos, meaning "the anointed one", directly from the Hebrew mashiah. The term is applied to any person sent by God to perform a prophetic, regal or priestly mission of salvation from the effects of sin. Such person is anointed with oil.

1, 1 David – the association of Jesus with David is highly significant. As David was God’s chosen ruler of Israel, so had the messiah to be a priest, king and prophet to be given the throne of Israel. Jesus thus often receives the title Son of David.

1, 1 Abraham – the forefather of the Jewish race, the patriarch’s Hebrew name meaning "father of a multitude" as differing from his previous appellative Abram, "the exalted father". He is now referred to as father (and possible catalyst) of the three monotheist religions. In calling Jesus "the son of Abraham" Mt is echoing the Jews’ appellative "Father Abraham", Jn 8, 39. This term deeply contrasts with the more intimate appellative by Jesus of God as "Abba, Father", an anathema which angered the Jewish hierarchy and cost Jesus his life.

1, 3 Tamar – the daughter-in-law of Judah. It is out of line for a female to find her place in Hebrew genealogies, but she is here mentioned because of her Canaanite origin.

1, 5 Rahab – a harlot who is specifically mentioned as a foreign woman who gave shelter to Joshua’s spies in Jericho.

1, 5 Ruth – a widowed and childless woman of Moabite origin who married Boaz and bore a son who was to be the grandfather of David.

1, 6 the wife of Uriah – Bathsheba, meaning "daughter of Sheba", a non-Israelite god, indicating she was of foreign origin and deserving a mention in Mt’s genealogy.

1, 11-12 deportation to, transmigration of, Babylon – the period of exile, or captivity, of part of the population of Judea to Babylon in the 6^th cent. B.C. It was Cyrus, the first renowned ruler of the Persian dynasty, who in 538 B.C. gave permission to the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem. It was then that the restoration took place.

1, 16 Joseph the husband of Mary – the royal lineage of Jesus from David derives from Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph was married to Mary, daughter of Joachim (or Heliachim) who was married to Anne, daughter of Mathan. The line of Joseph conforms to the Jewish custom of omitting women from their genealogies.

1, 17 all the generations – while Mt reckons three groups of 14 generations each, it is only 41 names (not 42) that actually appear from Abraham to Jesus. In any case, Mt’s aim is to establish that Jesus, through the legal paternity of Joseph and Joseph’s lineage to David, is the Messiah of Israel. Joseph’s obedience to a heavenly bidding led him to take charge of Mary’s son, Jesus.

Homilies Index Page - Liturgy of the Hours - Home