The Nativity of the Lord

Christmas Day

The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts and we reflect on the gift of Salvation that is born with Him and acknowledge that He was born to die for us.

The church celebrates four masses for the Feast of Christmas, each one has its own readings which help us to contemplate the birth of Christ. At the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve we read the genealogy of Jesus from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. The Mass at midnight proclaims the birth of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke. The Mass at dawn on Christmas morning continues the story of the birth of Jesus as found in Luke’s Gospel when the shepherds visit Jesus. In each of these Gospel readings we hear the infancy narratives   which we are very familiar with.

The Gospel for the Christmas Mass during the day is taken from the beginning of John’s Gospel and is not an infancy narrative like those found in Matthew and Luke. Instead, John starts at the very beginning and presents the Creation story as the framework for announcing the mystery of the Incarnation, “the word was made flesh, he lived among us.” John’s words echo the beginning of the Book of Genesis and they invite us to look at Jesus’ birth from God’s perspective. All four Gospels make it clear that Jesus’ birth was brought about by God’s initiative, but John emphasizes that Jesus’ birth was the divine intention from the moment of Creation.  

This mystery of the Incarnation changes everything. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we can also look upon the Nativity from God’s perspective to appreciate better the significance of God becoming ‘flesh’ (human). The mystery which we proclaim at Christmas is that God, the very God who created all things from nothing and who is light itself, “the true light that enlightens all men.” Took on our humanity in order to transform us. Through his birth among us, we have encountered God, “and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father.” At this awesome mystery we adore the image we see in our Nativity Crib. That God made himself at home with us by taking on flesh and becoming a human person and by doing so light overcame darkness. We see God’s glory in Jesus, we become children of God. On Christmas morning as a family thank God for this mystery of the Incarnation and for the salvation that we received because Jesus was born among us.  

A reading from the Gospel of John (Jn 1: 1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. 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.  A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation 

nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. Try and find time today to gather as a family around your Nativity crib. Talk about the scene with your children, so they can truly appreciate the birth of Christ. 
  4. Together thank God for this mystery of the Incarnation and the salvation we received because Jesus was born among us. Ask yourself if you really have time and space for God? Can he enter into your life? Does he find room in my heart, or have I filled up all the available space in my thoughts, my actions and my life with myself?   
  5. Together with your family find the right time to read this Gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare;
    i. The Bible reading from St John (Jn 1: 1-18)
    ii. The Advent Wreath, today light the white candle
    iii. Cover the table with a white cloth
    iv. A computer/laptop with the readings and clips
  6. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested).
  7. Feel free to adapt to your situation.
  8. Be creative ☺
  9. Go to the Prayer Corner section to continue praying as a family.  

Today is the day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, it is called the Feast of Christmas and we celebrate it on December 25th. We light the white candle on the Advent Wreath. It is the start of a special time in the Church’s Liturgical year- “The Christmas Season.”

  • The birth of Jesus is also called the Nativity
  • We celebrate Jesus becoming one of us in the flesh. Although He is God, Jesus became fully human in every way
  • Nativity colouring page
  • Pencil colours
colouring pageDownload

Today’s Gospel teaches us that Jesus came into this world to be one of us as a human being and that He came as part of God’s plan to save us from our sin. He is the Messiah, the one who was promised by God to save us. He is the ‘Light of the World,’ who shows us the way to live good lives. 

If we close our eyes we can’t see anything as there is no light, everything is dark. To go on a night hike we need to take a torch with us so that we can see the path and not get lost. When we shine a light in the darkness, we can see what is in front of us. In today’s reading there are many words which describe light and dark but they are not just talking about light as for example when we switch on a torch, or dark as when we close our eyes. They are sort of code words used to describe ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ Also in today’s Gospel we hear about “the Word” this also is a sort of code word for Jesus. Everything the Word was or did is what Jesus was or did. We learn that Jesus was with God at Creation and that He is the source of all life, the light which shows us how to follow the right path and make the right decisions. Jesus teaches us that we too can be ‘light.’ When we trust Jesus we are filled with joy and we become like lights to other people that point them towards God. Jesus is the Son of God, and we are so blessed that he became human and lived among us. His light overcomes darkness because God’s love for us is very powerful it is greater than sin. Jesus taught us how to love God by loving one another. On this special day (Jesus’ birthday), you can shine the light of God’s love by saying kind words to others and telling them about Jesus. Say something kind to someone in your family today and share with them the joy of Jesus’ birth.

Sign of the cross.

Jesus, the Son of God, was born for us. Come let us adore him, and share his light with the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Try to find a few minutes today to either colour the picture of the Nativity or to stand next to your Nativity crib at home and say the above prayer as you celebrate Jesus’ birth. Also you can listen to this song; Mary’s Boy Child.

Today is a very special day in the Liturgical calendar it’s the Feast of Christmas, we celebrate the great mystery that God became flesh (human) and dwelt among us. It is called the Incarnation. We light the white candle on the Advent Wreath, which symbolises Jesus as “the light of the world.” 

  • The mystery we proclaim at Christmas is that God, who created all things from nothing and who is light itself, became fully human in order to transform us. He is called Immanuel; ‘God-with-us.’ 
  • Colouring page
  • Pencil colours
colouring pageDownload

The Bible tells us all we need to know about the birth of Jesus. He was born in a stable in Bethlehem and his mother Mary “wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.” We do not know all the details but we do know that this Holy family had humble beginnings, and they quietly followed God’s plan.

John’s Gospel reminds us that the image of Jesus’ humble beginnings which we see in our Nativity Crib is a most remarkable sight. Why do you think that is? It is because God loved us so much that he made himself at home with us by taking on flesh and by becoming a human person. What are some of the things that John’s Gospel says happened for us because Jesus came to dwell among us? He says that light overcame darkness and that we can see the Glory of God in Jesus and that whoever believes in him become children of God.

At the very beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is referred to as the Word. He starts by saying “In the beginning was the Word,” God has given us his Word and that his Word is a person: Jesus Christ. In the Gospel for the Christmas Mass during the day, we hear John tell us about the Word, this is Jesus and he was present at Creation. We read the same words in Genesis which is the first Book of the Bible. When we hear God’s Word proclaimed at Mass, we are coming to know a person, we are coming to know Jesus. On the Feast of Christmas we celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation that is, we celebrate God becoming Human, the Word becoming flesh.  When we say that Jesus became flesh, it means that we actually encounter him in our lives as Jesus truly became one of us. He is the Son who the prophet Isaiah spoke of hundreds of years previously who will be called ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God- with- us.’

Sign of the cross.

Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. Thank you for this wonderful gift, may the light of faith shine in our words and actions today and every day. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Find a few minutes today to say this prayer as you look at baby Jesus lying in the manger in the Nativity crib. God loves us so much that he made Himself into a poor baby. Doesn’t that make you want to love Him more? If you do not have a Nativity crib you can print and colour the colouring page, whilst listening to the song; What Child is this?

1. In today's Gospel, we read that someone was specifically called to witness the coming of our Lord Jesus in the world as the Son of God made man. Who was the witness?

Correct! Wrong!

2. Jesus, the Son of God who came into the world, is described in this Gospel as....

Correct! Wrong!

3. The author of this Gospel tells us that while grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, the law was given through...

Correct! Wrong!

4. What did those who welcomed Jesus see, when he came unto the world as the Son of God made man?

Correct! Wrong!