Reading I: Isaiah 52:7-10
Reading II: Hebrews 1:1-6
GOSPEL: John 1:1-18
The First Word
Every Christian is familiar with what we call the “infancy narratives,” which are the gospel stories of Jesus’ birth. In fact, any non-Christian with access to American radio and television is probably at least familiar with the general storyline, thanks to songs like “Away in a Manger” and perennial TV favorites such as “The Little Drummer Boy.” But one thing we sometimes forget is that not all of the gospels tell the story of Jesus’ birth, and the Gospel of John is a case in point.
The Real Word
The gospel reading this week starts by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Certainly not the story of the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and sleeping in a manger – the story that is so familiar to us all – but it is the story of the origin of Jesus.
When many people think of “the Word of God,” the first thing that comes to mind is the Bible. This understanding is correct, of course, but it is also incomplete. In our Catholic Tradition, we understand “the Word” to signify God’s communication to us – through the Bible, the symbols and sacraments of the Church, significant events in Church history and, most importantly, through Jesus.
The Word of the Lord is God’s truth, shared with us in many different ways. Jesus is thus the incarnation of God’s truth. He is the ultimate way in which our God communicates with us; the bridge between the human and the divine – between creator and creation. Jesus of Nazareth, born in a manager so long ago, is the living, breathing, manifestation of God’s Truth and of his perfect love for us.
The Last Word
The infancy narratives are a wonderful part of our Church heritage. The story of the King of Kings being born in a barn begins what may be the greatest “rags to riches” story ever told, and that tends to appeal to us at many levels.
But there is more to it than that, and this year the Gospel reading shows us just how much more there is to the story. The story doesn’t start 2,000 years ago. The story starts at the dawn of creation when there was nothing but God… and the Word!
Life Applications:
When you think of Christmas, what comes to mind?
When you think of Jesus, what comes to mind?
What is God communicating to us through Jesus?
Check out the REAL Word Podcast for Christmas Day (Cycle A):
Original article by Brandon Jubar, 2005-2022.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.