Scripture for Christmas Day Mass
Isaiah 62:11-12
Psalm 97(96):1,6.11-12
Titus: 3:4-7
Luke 2:15-20
During Christmas we look for ways to share the love and joy of the season with others. As Christians, this means not just with family, neighbours and friends, but also with those who are living on the margins of our own society or people in other countries who are in distress due to war, famine or natural disasters. We might consider such generosity as ‘doing my bit for God’s mission.’
The first missionaries were shepherds who, upon hearing the Good News, left their flocks and went to share it with the people of Bethlehem. Since those townspeople generally looked down on shepherds as unreliable, ignorant and dirty, they probably found it difficult to trust what they reported or to accept that it was of any benefit to them. Accustomed to avoiding shepherds or pitying them, it must have been a real challenge for the people of Bethlehem to come to view them as God’s messengers.
This Christmas, if we open our minds, maybe we will be surprised and shocked – like the people of Bethlehem – that those we avoid or despise are in fact messengers sent by God to us. Moreover, rather than just pitying those whom we view as less fortunate than ourselves and sharing our excess of resources with them, maybe we could make a special effort to listen to their stories, and in doing so, come to realise that they might be messengers sent by God to share with us the Good News of Christmas.
Gracious God, thank you for the extraordinary gift of your Son, Jesus, whom you sent to convince us that our world is loved beyond all measure.
May Emmanuel console all who are troubled or desolate, and disturb all who are complacent or indifferent to the suffering of other people and the plight of our planet.
Open our eyes to recognise Christ in those who live on the margins of our world, and grant us the humility to look for him in unexpected places and situations.
May Christ’s infinite love and mercy, joy and peace become flesh in us today.
Amen.
Fr. Tim Mulroy
