Celebración de la palabra

Tuesday December 24, 2019

THE LORD IS HERE TO SET US FREE

Introduction

The promise made by the Lord was finally fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. God would set his people free by no less than his own Son. Was the promise finally fulfilled? It was the beginning of the fulfillment. Everything was there to make it real and effective, except the people who would have to put it into practice. For God created us free, and that means he relies on us, on our acceptance and cooperation, on our love. We have to let God make his peace and love come true among us, with and through Jesus. That’s why he came among us as one of us. “Here I am, human like you. Look at me and see how it is to be done. Do it with me. I am with you and stay with you to give you the strength. Come, let’s begin. Now.”

Opening Prayer

Lord, loving and mighty God,
you fulfilled your promise to save us
when Jesus, your Son, became one of us.
We are no longer in the dark,
for you let your light shine on us.
Bring us your salvation now,
set us really free from our sins,
let us become fully human with Jesus
and go with him in your way of peace and love.
Let him be our strength,
our constant companion on the road,
that through him and growing in his humanity,
we may be your beloved sons and daughters.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

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.'"

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

R. (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.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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."

Intercessions

– For people who are hard and demanding, that God may make us sensitive to others and compassionate, we pray:
– For those who feel especially these days how lonely and fearful they are, that their brothers and sisters in the Lord may bring them support and warmth, we pray:
– For people who feel how empty their lives are, that they may find the Lord and learn from him how love and service can enrich them, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, our Father,
we join Jesus, your Son, in his feast meal
of the bread and wine of himself,
that we may become more and more like him
and live the way he lived.
Let a new era begin now;
let this food and drink make us free
to create peace among people,
to bring justice and love to our world,
and to walk together on the way
to your home of joy without end.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God, our merciful Father,
we have heard the Good News of your Son
and we ask you to fulfill it in us today.
Do not allow us to be still afraid
of committing ourselves to your dream,
of a new heaven and a new earth.
Let the Spirit of Jesus be alive in us,
that everywhere there may be light instead of darkness,
justice where there is discrimination and inhumanity,
love where there is hatred.
Let your Son live and stay with us,
now and till we safely reach your home,
for Jesus is our Lord for ever.

Blessing

Blessed be the Lord our God who shows us his mercy and takes us up into his covenant of love. All praise to him. You, and all who are dear to you, receive the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

The feast that we celebrate tonight is, for the person of faith, the most important birth in world history. The promise goes back to Abraham, the sainted patriarch of the Jewish people, and it centered upon a people freed from fear and dedicated to the service of God. An era of peace and harmony stood on the horizon. This appears clearly in the hymn of Zechariah, read as today’s Gospel. The prophets never lost sight of the descendant of David, who was to preside over this renewed kingdom of God.
The story of David’s intent regarding the temple is an interesting one. He lamented the fact that he lived in luxury while the dwelling of God was nothing more than a tent. To end this inequity he determined to build a suitable house for the Lord, but his intention was thwarted. The construction of the temple, a political as well as religious tour de force, was to be the work of his son Solomon. Then, through an interesting play on words, God expresses his wish to build a house for David, a dynasty that would last forever.
But it turns out this house is not the royal house of David, with its many decadent kings, men who were nothing more than disappointments. Faith tells us that it was the descendant of David, bom in Bethlehem of modest circumstances, who would become the king of promise in an everlasting dynasty. It is a theme that resonates in Handel: “He will reign forever and ever.”
This recounting is more than a brief biblical overview. It is really God for us. As this plan unfolded through history, it was personal and directed. Christ is the new David, the predestined king of the ages. It is his example and his teaching that express his sovereignty and that directs us through life. Kindness over vindictiveness, honesty over corruption, moderation over excess, forgiveness over hatred. It is not an easy ethic, but it is positive and rewarding. He tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden, light. For the gift of our Savior king, we once again give thanks this Christmas season.

Points to Ponder

God’s promise
David: both noble and human
The king, meek and humble
The Christian ethic and human values.