by Faith Central & Steve Welsh
“When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
they took Him up to Jerusalem
to present Him to the Lord ….”
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
… All things came to be through Him …
… 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. …”
“When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
‘Let us go, then, to Bethlehem ….”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this Child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart. …”
“For there was no room for them in the inn. …”
“… Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with Child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her Child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
… ‘Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
… today in the city of David
a Savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
… And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host …
praising God and saying:
‘Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom His Favor rests.'”
“This is how the Birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When His Mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
… the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
‘Joseph, son of David,
… it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name Him Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.’ … “
“This Sunday is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday, based on the Introit for the day: Gaudete in Domino semper, iterum dico, Gaudete (Phil 4:4) (Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice). Today, this theme is developed most fully in the 2nd reading, which is from 1 Thessalonians. It also begins with the salutation and imperative, ‘Rejoice always.’ …”
“‘I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
“make straight the way of the Lord,”
as Isaiah the prophet said. … I baptize with water;
but there is One among you whom you do not recognize,
the One who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. …'”
“On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it is a chance for us to rejoice in the great mercy of our divine Lord and our blessed Lady. …”
“The Angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.’ …”