Readings for 

 December 25, 2022

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Mass during the Day    Lectionary: 16

It-Twelid ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu

Solennità – Quddiesa ta’ Binhar

Reading 1                 ISAIAH 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,  “Your God is King!”  Hark!  Your sentinels raise a cry,  together they shout for joy,  for they see directly, before their eyes,  the LORD restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people,  he redeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations;  all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.

Qari 1                 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 52:7-10

Kemm huma sbieħ fuq il-muntanji r-riġlejn ta’ min iħabbar il-bxara, ta’ min ixandar is-sliem, ta’ min iħabbar ir-riżq, ta’ min ixandar is-salvazzjoni, u jgħid lil Sijon: “Alla tiegħek isaltan”. Ismagħha l-għajta! L-għassiesa tiegħek għollew leħenhom, ilkoll flimkien jgħajtu bil-ferħ, għax raw b’għajnejhom lill-Mulej rieġa’ lura f’Sijon. Intom, ħerbiet ta’ Ġerusalemm, għajtu lkoll bil-ferħ, għax farraġ il-Mulej il-poplu tiegħu, feda lil Ġerusalemm. Kixef il-Mulej id-driegħ tiegħu qaddis, quddiem il-ġnus kollha, u raw it-truf kollha tal-art is-salvazzjoni ta’ Alla tagħna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
   for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
   his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
   in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
   toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen
   the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
   break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
   with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
   sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Salm Responsorjali               Salm 97(98):1,2-3ab,3ċd-4,5-6

R/. (3ċ): Raw it-truf kollha tal-art is-salvazzjoni ta’ Alla tagħna.

Għannu lill-Mulej għanja ġdida,
għax għamel ħwejjeġ tal-għaġeb.
Ġibitlu r-rebħa l-leminija tiegħu,
u d-driegħ imqaddes tiegħu. R/.

Għarraf il-Mulej is-salvazzjoni tiegħu,
f’għajnejn il-ġnus wera l-ġustizzja tiegħu.
Ftakar fit-tjieba u l-fedeltà tiegħu
mal-poplu ta’ Iżrael. R/.

L-art kollha, minn tarf għall-ieħor,
rat is-salvazzjoni ta’ Alla tagħna.
Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,
infexxu fil-hena, ifirħu u għannu! R/.

Għannu lill-Mulej biċ-ċetra,
biċ-ċetra u bil-ħlewwa tal-għana,
bit-trombi u bid-daqq tat-trumbetti;
għajtu bil-ferħ quddiem il-Mulej is-sultan! R/.

Reading 2                HEBREWS 1:1-6

Brothers and sisters: In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,        who is the refulgence of his glory,  the very imprint of his being,  and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins,  he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my son; this day I have begotten you? Or again:  I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me? And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:    Let all the angels of God worship him. Alleluia

Qari 2                Bidu tal-Ittra lil-Lhud  1:1-6

Alla fl-imgħoddi kellem lil missirijietna ħafna drabi u b’ħafna manjieri permezz tal-profeti. Issa f’dan l-aħħar żmien huwa kellimna permezz ta’ Ibnu, li hu għamlu werriet ta’ kollox, u li bih ukoll għamel il-ħolqien. Hu, l-Iben, li hu d-dija tal-glorja ta’ Alla u x-xbieha tal-essenza tiegħu, u li jżomm id-dinja kollha bil-kelma setgħana tiegħu, wara li naddafna minn dnubietna, qagħad fuq il-lemin tal-kobor ta’ Alla fl-għoli tas-smewwiet, u b’hekk sar daqshekk aqwa mill-anġli daqskemm ogħla minn tagħhom hu l-isem li kiseb. Għax lil min mill-anġli qatt qal Alla: “Inti ibni, jiena llum nissiltek!”? Jew: “Jiena nkun missieru, u hu jkun ibni!”? Imbagħad, hu u jdaħħal lil Ibnu l-Kbir fid-dinja, jgħid ukoll: “Ħa jqimuh l-anġli kollha ta’ Alla”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel                JOHN 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,  and the Word was with God,  and the Word was God.     He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him,  and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life,  and this life was the light of the human race;  the light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness has not overcome it.  A man named John was sent from God.  He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

Evanġelju               Bidu tal-Evanġelju skont San Ġwann Ġw 1:1-18

Fil-bidu kien il-Verb, u l-Verb kien ma’ Alla, u l-Verb kien Alla. Hu kien fil-bidu ma’ Alla. Kollox bih sar, u xejn ma sar mingħajru;  kulma sar kellu l-ħajja fih, u l-ħajja kienet id-dawl tal-bnedmin. Id-dawl jiddi fid-dlam, imma d-dlam ma għelbux. Kien hemm raġel mibgħut minn Alla, jismu Ġwanni. Dan ġie bħala xhud, biex jixhed għad-dawl, biex bih kulħadd jemmen. Ġwanni ma kienx id-dawl, imma ġie biex jixhed għad-dawl, dak id-dawl veru, li jdawwal kull bniedem, huwa u ġej fid-dinja. Kien fid-dinja, u d-dinja saret bih, imma d-dinja ma għarfitux. Ġie f’daru, u niesu ma laqgħuhx. Imma lil dawk li laqgħuh tahom is-setgħa li jsiru wlied Alla, dawk li jemmnu f’ismu, li twieldu mhux mid-demm, anqas mill-ġibda tal-ġisem, u anqas mir-rieda tal-bnedmin, iżda minn Alla. U l-Verb sar bniedem u għammar fostna, u aħna rajna l-glorja tiegħu, il-glorja li għandu mill-Missier bħala Ibnu l-waħdieni, mimli bil-grazzja u l-verità. Ġwanni ta xhieda fuqu meta għajjat u qal: “Dan hu li għalih għedtilkom: Jiġi warajja, imma hu aqwa minni, għax kien minn qabli”. Għax mill-milja tiegħu aħna lkoll ħadna, grazzja fuq grazzja. Alla ta l-Liġi permezz ta’ Mosè imma l-grazzja u l-verità seħħu permezz ta’ Ġesù Kristu. Lil Alla għadu ħadd ma rah; imma għarrafhulna l-Iben il-waħdieni ta’ Alla, li hu fi ħdan il-Missier. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Fr. Anthony Kadavil
        

MAY Jesus be reborn in your heart and life during Christmas 2022 and every day of  the New Year 2023.
        MAY He radiate His Presence from within you as sharing love,  unconditional forgiveness, humble service, a compass-ionate heart, and overflowing generosity.
            MAY the Holy Babe of Bethlehem bless you with health in body and  soul and grant you a peaceful and blessed New Year.

 
Why do we celebrate Christmas with great rejoicing?

1: First, Christmas is the Feast of God’s sending us a Saviour: God undertook the Incarnation of Jesus as True God and true man to save us from the bondage of sin. The Hindus believe in ten incarnations of God. The purpose of these incarnations is stated in their Holy Scripture, Bagavath Geetha or Song of God. “God incarnates to restore righteousness in the world whenever there is a large-scale erosion of moral values.” (“Dharma samstaphanarthe sambhavami yuge yuge.”).

But the Christian Scriptures teach only one Incarnation, and its purpose is given in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”— (RVS 2 Catholic).

We call our celebration of the Incarnation of God in a Baby today “Good News” because our Divine Saviour has been born. As our Saviour Jesus liberated us from our evil addictions and unjust, inpure and uncharitable tendencies.  Christmas 2022 also challenges us to accept Jesus in ythe manger as our saving God and personal Saviour  sins by his suffering, death, and Resurrection.

So, every Christmas reminds us that we need a Savior every day, to free us from our evil addictions and unjust, impure, and uncharitable tendencies. Christmas 2022 also challenges us to accept Jesus in the manger as our saving God and personal Saviour and to surrender our lives to him, allowing him to rule our hearts and lives every day in the New Year.

# 2: Second, Christmas is the Feast of God’s sharing His love with us: Jesus, as our Saviour, brought the “Good News” that our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful, rewarding God and not a judgmental, cruel, punishing God. He demonstrated by his life and teaching how God our Heavenly Father loves us, forgives us, provides for us, and rewards us.

All his miracles were signs of this Divine Love. Jesus’ final demonstration of God’s love for us was his own death on the cross to atone for our sins and to make us children of God. Each Christmas reminds us that sharing love with others is our Christian privilege and duty, and every time we do that, Jesus is reborn in our lives.

Let us humbly admit the truth with the German mystic Angelus Silesius “Christ could be born a thousand times in Bethlehem – but all in vain until He is born in me.” (https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Angelus_Silesius) Hence, let us allow Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives, not only during Christmas, but every day, so that he may radiate the Light of his Presence from within us as sharing and selfless love, expressed in compassionate words and deeds, unconditional forgiveness, the spirit of humble service, and overflowing generosity.

# 3: Third, Christmas is the Feast of the Emmanuel (God living with us and within us): Christmas is the feast of the Emmanuel because God in the New Testament is a God Who continues to live with us in all the events of our lives as the “Emmanuel” announced by the angel to Mary. Jesus lives in us as Emmanuel in the Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in the praying community, and in each believer, as the Holy Spirit residing in us makes us His “Temples.”

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

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