Reading 1
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
“‘It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29
Responsorial PsalmR. (2)
For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Gospel
Lk 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Meditation: Luke 1:67-79
“He has visited his people and set them free.” (Luke 1:68)
Think back to your childhood, to the last long, hot school day before summer holidays started. Recall the anticipation and excitement you felt—relief; release; stepping out of the close, dim classroom into the wide-open sunshine. Every day was filled with possibility and potential.
Christmas Eve can hold the same eager expectancy for you now—but in a quiet, awe-filled sense. It is a day of anticipation, of hope, and of reflection. A day to stop what we’re doing and try to spend as much time as possible pondering the light and hope that entered the world when Jesus was born.
Jesus came to bring us salvation. He came to set us free from sin and to bring us back into our Father’s embrace. He came to bring us a salvation that far surpassed the forgiveness of our sins—as wonderful as that is! He came to bring us light in our darkness: the hope of a new life here on earth and the promise of heaven after our days are done. Jesus’ birth was heralded by a star so bright that wise men from hundreds of miles away followed it until they found Jesus. This is the same light that is shining on us today.
Salvation has to do with life overcoming death. It is a full life, not just cringing existence scrabbling bleakly among the rubble of fear and guilt. This life is marked by freedom from enemies like bitterness, resentment, and past hurts. It is a life free from self-love and self-centeredness. All this is yours because in his compassion, God has made his light to shine on you. And that is the light of Christ, who was born on Christmas Day.
In Jesus—even in the infant sleeping in the manger—all the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. He came so that we can have life, and “have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Sit quietly today and think about that. Jesus came to bring you God’s life. Christmas is tomorrow. The darkness is about to fade. Ask God to shine his light on you so that you can rejoice with all the angels and saints.
“Jesus, thank you for setting me free and shining your light into my life. Teach me how to have it to the full.”
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