Friday, December 25, 2020
The Birth of the Lord (Christmas)
Readings:
For the Vigil Mass – Mass for Night – Mass as Day Dey Break – Mass for Daytime
Listen for English
So dem hurry go, and dem find Mary and Joseph, with the baby wey lie inside manger. When dem see this, dem tell people the message wey dem don hear about this pikin. Everybody wey hear am wonder at wetin the shepherds tell dem. And Mary keep all these things, dey ponder dem for her heart. Luke 2:16–19
Happy Christmas! We don finish our preparations for Advent, and now our Lord dey invite us to enter the glorious celebration of His birth!
How well you understand the mystery of Christmas wey dey fill person with deep wonder? How fully you understand wetin e mean say God become human, wey a virgin born? Even though many people know the beautiful and humble story of the birth of the Saviour of the World well-well, that familiarity fit get one surprising bad effect: e fit stop our mind from searching deep into the meaning of wetin we dey celebrate.
Notice the last line of the Gospel passage wey we quote above: “And Mary keep all these things, dey ponder dem for her heart.” Wetin a beautiful line to ponder this Christmas day! Mother Mary na the one person wey for understand the mystery of the birth of her Son, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, far deeper than any other person. Na to her Archangel Gabriel appear, announce say she go get belle and give birth to Him. Na she carry her Son, the Son of God, for her womb wey no get any stain of sin, for nine months. Na to her Elizabeth, her cousin, cry out say, “You get blessing pass all women, and the fruit of your womb get blessing” (Luke 1:42). Na Mary be the Immaculate Conception, the one wey God preserve from all sin throughout her life. And na she born this Pikin, carry Him for her arms and breastfeed Him. Our Blessed Mother understand the incredible thing wey don happen for her life pass any other person.
But again, the Gospel above talk say “Mary keep all these things, dey ponder dem for her heart.” One thing wey this dey tell us be say even Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God, need time to ponder, reflect and enjoy the richness of this most holy mystery. She no ever doubt, but her faith continue to dey deepen, and her heart dey ponder the mystery of the Incarnation wey nobody fit measure or fully understand.
Another thing wey this dey tell us be say the depth of the “pondering” wey we must give ourselves to no get end, if we want enter deeper into the mystery of the birth of the Son of God. To read the story, set up a scene wey show the birth of Jesus, share Christmas cards, attend Mass and do other things like these na important parts of a holy celebration of Christmas. But to “ponder” and “reflect,” especially during prayer and especially for Christmas Mass, go dey draw us deeper and deeper into this Mystery of our Faith.
Today, reflect together with our Blessed Mother. Ponder the Incarnation. Put yourself inside the scene of that first Christmas. Hear the sounds of the town. Smell the different smells for the stable. Watch as the shepherds come forward to adore Him. And enter the mystery more fully, as you acknowledge say the more you know about the mystery of Christmas, the more you go realise how small wetin you really know and understand be. But to humbly realise this na the first step towards deeper understanding of wetin we dey celebrate today.
Lord, I dey gaze at the wonder of Your birth. You wey be God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, God from God and Light from Light, become one of us, a humble pikin, wey a virgin born and lay inside manger. Help me to ponder this glorious event, to reflect on the mystery with deep wonder and to understand more fully the meaning of wetin You don do for us. I thank You, dear Lord, for this glorious celebration of Your birth into the world. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
More About di Birth of di Lord
Featured picture above: The Shepherds Dey Adore Jesus, by Sebastiano Conca
