Nativity of the Lord

Rejoice and be glad! Christ our Savior is born!

Taking refuge with her husband in a stable, Mary, our Blessed Mother, endured the pain, exhaustion, and anxiety of labor before giving birth to a sweet baby. Joseph was there for it all, bringing his deep love and protection. They named the newborn “Jesus.” We also call him Christ (Anointed One), Emmanuel (God with us), and Messiah (Lord and long-awaited Savior). Many other names and titles have been given to Jesus. Christians call this birth the Incarnation: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (beginning of John’s Gospel)

Father Paul Bernier SSS writes that Saint Peter Julian Eymard saw the Eucharist “as a prolongation of the incarnation.” So, whenever we, the Body of Christ, gather for Mass worldwide, we pray together and witness our gifts of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ: the Word made flesh, the Eucharist itself, the Real Presence. The through-line of Jesus’ life takes us from the stable to the table, from birth to the night before Jesus died.

The Gospel of Luke (from another of the various liturgies provided for the vigil of Christmas and the day itself) provides details of the Christmas story. Baby Jesus is softly swaddled and placed safe and secure in a manger, a rough feed trough for animals in their place of safety. The human guests had come for refuge and warmth. The creatures came to the manger for sustenance; we come to the manger for salvation.

Let us pray:

Dear God, we bless this holy night when Christ our Savior was born. We give thanks for the loving legacy you left for us in the Holy Eucharist, where Christ comes to us again every day. May we always embrace the Sacrament as our Bread of Life. Amen.