God Among Us

Scripture Reflections for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass during the Day

Year C, Lectionary 16


In the beginning there was God. In the present God remains with us. God in Jesus has become more approachable for us as a result of the incarnation. What joy for us to have such a loving God.

Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: AngelBabyBreadChildChristmasCommunityCovenantCreationDarknessDivineDivisionEncounterFaithFocusGiftGraceHistoryHopeIncarnationJohn the BaptistJourneyJoyLifeLightLoveMeaningMissionNicodemusNightPeacePowerPrayerPriorityRejectRelationshipRevelationSightSilenceSt. NicholasTempleTraditionUnityWord

Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98:1-6
Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo and Bernadette Oca (December 23, 2022)
Hebrews 1:1-6
Catholic Productions

“just as in the human sphere both Jesus and his father are tecktons, they're builders, they build things, so too in the divine realm...the son and the father are also builders but in this case what Hebrews is saying, what is it that they built? Well, they built the universe”


Brant Pitre in "Is Jesus an Angel? Hebrews 1, the Incarnation and Jehovah's Witnesses" (December 27, 2019)
John 1:1-18
UACatholic

“What, people of God, is the true meaning of Christmas? God became man...Now why is that significant? That's a deeper question.”


Fr. John Paul Forté, OP (December 25, 2023)
Saint Katharine Drexel Parish - Boston, MA

“Love came down at Christmas. That is our gift. Now what you going to do with it church? What will we do with that gift? Because salvation is in our hands. Love is here. The Lord is here.”


Fr. Oscar Pratt (December 25, 2022)

“the Temple was the locus of God’s presence on earth. John is saying that now Jesus himself is the locus of God’s presence. Jesus is the true Tent of Meeting, the true Temple. He is the Word made flesh, the place where the glory of God has chosen to dwell.”


Fr. Geoffrey Plant in "In the beginning" (December 18, 2022)
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Philadelphia

“every day is Christmas because the Word became flesh and dwells among us”


Fr. Stephen Thorne (January 06, 2019)

“God's become one of us, full of grace, and therefore we are called, summoned, challenged to this fullness of truth to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. That's the Good News of Christmas, that's the meaning of Christmas”


Bishop Robert Barron in "Bishop Barron on Christmas and the Prologue of John" (December 11, 2011)
Saint Katharine Drexel Parish - Boston, MA

“Christmas is about hope. Christmas is about that attitude that continues to draw us ever deeper into the mystery of the divine. Hope is that which says 'I know what I see, I know what I hear, I know what I read but I also know the truth of who was born into the world to save us from ourselves.”


Fr. Oscar Pratt (December 25, 2021)

“Evangelization involves preaching the Word but even more importantly it involves living the Word”


Fr. Geoffrey Plant in "St Nicholas to Santa Claus" (December 22, 2021)
Saint Katharine Drexel Parish - Boston, MA

“We are a priority in the life of God, in the mind of God, in the imagining of God...is God my priority? Or is God more an after thought in my life? Is God my mode of operation? Is God my reason for being or every now and then I might say a little prayer when I think about it?”


Fr. Oscar Pratt (December 25, 2020)
Overall Readings
Catholic Women Preach

“In the beginning Jesus is the Eternal God the author of John is trying to tell us. Interestingly though he's also a baby, he's a powerful king, he is the savior of the world but he's also a vulnerable newborn. God is both at once, God can contain vulnerability and power.”


Natalia Imperatori-Lee (December 25, 2023)
Catholic Women Preach

“Christmas cannot be celebrated without people experiencing the mercy and the love of God in tangible ways. And the only way they can do that is through us. We are Christmas. Christmas is waiting to happen through us. Let us be a Christmas people.”


Nontando Hadebe (December 25, 2022)
St. Teresa of Avila - DC

“this Word will not come back to God void and we who are created by the Word, for the Word, must live in the Word as we eat the Word and we got to go, go, go, go tell it on the mountain side. Yes, Jesus Christ is born. Word has become flesh.”


Monsignor Raymond East (December 25, 2022)

“in Jesus Christ God has given to us the best of all gifts which is the full presence of God”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo (December 20, 2021)