Christmas Time
Good News of Great Joy
They Made Known the Message
After our Lady, the second evangelists were the shepherds. We all know how the angels appeared to them and how they visited the Lord in his manger, but have we really paid attention to the details lately? We hear St. Luke's account of the visitation of the shepherds spread over several of the Masses for Christmas Eve and Day:
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, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “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 Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
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.” 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. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
— Luke 2:8-20
The angels appear specifically to the shepherds, but these glad tidings are not meant only for them! They are "good news of great joy that will be for all the people." And the shepherds seem to take this to heart: first they hasten to the stable to see the Savior with their own eyes, and then they "made known the message that had been told them about this child." Receiving the good news flows seamlessly into sharing it with others! It also leads directly to joy and worship: "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen."
May we follow the shepherds' example this Christmas season and throughout the year! If we do, others will be "amazed," and many will come to rejoice in the Lord.
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.
This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.
What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.
This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.
What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.
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