Word to the Wise
Thursday, December 25, 2025 - Christmas: Mass at Dawn - ABC
[Isa 62:11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20,]"See, the Lord proclaims to the ends of the earth; say to daughter Zion, your savior comes! Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord....." [Isaiah] When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.....Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them." [Luke]
How do we proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ? Isaiah and the shepherds in the first reading and the gospel for Mass at Dawn today can serve as inspiration! The usual greeting on Christmas Day is "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" What if we were to say, instead, "CHRIST IS BORN! ALLELUIA!"? We might get a startled look or, from some: "Well...yes, I suppose so!"
Isaiah proclaims a "SAVIOR!" The angels proclaimed to the shepherds: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord!" [Luke - Mass at Midnight]. The shepherds went and saw for themselves and then proclaimed this good news of faith that as they had "heard and seen, just as it had been told to them!"
In Jesus' day, shepherds were not highly esteemed people. But the good news of Jesus' birth was first proclaimed to them! Along with Mary and Joseph, they are the first disciples - the models for us all! They have heard the good news. They have seen the child with his parents in the stable.
We will hear this Good News of great joy in the scriptures at Mass on this day. [One hopes the preaching will be equal to the occasion, as well!] Then we go home and the nativity scene is there for us to see! Can we follow the shepherds? The gifts under the tree have been opened and, perhaps, proclaimed: "Just what I always wanted?" But the biggest gift is in that nativity scene. How do we proclaim THAT gift?
Yes, "Merry Christmas!" is a lot easier to say because it is almost automatic and takes little effort. But "CHRIST IS BORN, ALLELUIA!" proclaims the gift of God that has been unwrapped and we have heard of and seen it! At least we could try "CHRIST IS BORN! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" AMEN