Christmas 2025

The Christian tradition is marked by two great periods based on events in the life of Jesus. The central commemorations are related to the redemptive acts at Holy Week and Easter; the second period centers on Christmas. Christmas and Holy Week/Easter Sunday bring the same Gospel message in different ways.

The church calendar associates many meaningful and beautiful passages of Scripture with the birth of Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who came to earth as a human infant. There are numerous Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others. There are epistle readings such as Hebrews 1, Titus 2, and Galatians 4. And of course, there are the Gospel accounts from Matthew, Luke, and John. Each of these Gospels has its own beauty and deep significance. One can say that Matthew 1& 2 focus on Joseph's perspective, that Luke 1& 2 reflect the point of view of the Virgin Mary, and that John 1 emphasizes the timeless theological meaning. 

All these Scriptures complement one another and provide believers with a broad vista for meditating on the meaning of Christ's Birth. They help us move beyond the beautiful but simplistic imagery of a childhood pageant, and they provide deep nourishment for heart, mind, and soul. They teach us the truth that Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, "came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man" for us and for our salvation (Nicene Creed). In other words, Scripture teaches us that Christmas is about more than a family festival or the birth of a great man; it is about our eternal salvation. That spiritual reality is where we need to put our emphasis, not merely for a few moments on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, but for twelve days and more!

Alleluia. Unto us a child is born; * O come, let us adore him. Alleluia. (Christmas Antiphon for Morning Prayer, 1928 Book of Common Prayer.)

Christmas

Merry Christmas! "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger" (Luke 2:7). Christmas is about the Birth of Jesus. The appropriate reaction to His Birth is briefly but admirably summarized in the antiphon for Morning Prayer from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:

 Alleluia. Unto us a child is born; * O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.

May the Christ Child (the eternal Word of God become flesh- John 1:14)) always be at the center of our Christmas celebrations! He has come to us and He keeps coming to us to be our Savior. A blessed Feast of the Nativity to all!

Advent IV and Christmas Week Readings 2023

 As we conclude Advent this year, the calendar is unusual since Advent IV is also Christmas Eve. That means that there is only one day for reading before the Feast of the Incarnation. So here are two sets of readings for the same day, Advent IV/Christmas Eve. and then readings for Christmas week. May the profound joy of our Lord's coming into this world be with us all!

Psalms and Lessons for MORNING PRAYER (according to the 1945 lectionary in the 1928 BCP)

Days                                                    Psalms     First Lesson           Second Lesson

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT      80          Isaiah 40:1–11                  Luke 3:1–17

Christmas Eve                                   50          Baruch 4:36–5:9               Luke 1:67-80

Christmas Week

CHRISTMAS DAY                             89:1–30     Isaiah 9:2–7                    Luke 2:1–20

ST. STEPHEN                                     118           2 Chron. 24:17–22          Acts 6

ST. JOHN EVANGELIST                   23, 24       Exodus 33:12 -23            John 13:20-26,

HOLY INNOCENTS                          8, 26        Jeremiah 31:1–6, 15–16  Matthew 18:1–14

December 29                                      27             Isa. 56:1–8                     1 John 1

December 30                                      33             Isa. 59:1–3, 15b–21       1 John 2:1–17

December 31                                     147            Isa. 62                            1 John 2:18-29

CIRCUMCISION OF                       

       OUR LORD (Jan. 1)                  103           Deuteronomy 30:1–10  Ephesians 2:11-22

Christmas 2022- Hebrews 1:1-3

The anticipated day has finally arrived! It is Christmas, and we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Incarnation of the eternal Word of God. Of course, there are many aspects to the celebration of this great festival, and we can easily be distracted from what is most important. So we constantly and prayerfully turn to divine revelation in Holy Scripture. In particular, today's reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews points us toward the meaning of the Christian celebration.

Hebrews 1:1-3 says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." 

These words indicate the importance of the Incarnation and summarize the basic message of the Christian Gospel. The old divine message delivered through the prophets has reached its climax and fulfillment in Jesus Christ, God's only Son. The Son has been with the Father from the beginning and has always been involved in divine work, but in Jesus, the Son, the Word, has come among us in a great new way. He reveals God the Father more clearly, He takes away our sins, and He returns to reign with the Father in heaven.  Christmas is about an unusual birth, but it is also about much more. It is a proclamation of the eternal and saving Gospel of Jesus Christ! May this Good News dwell in our hearts always! A merry and blessed Christmas to all!

Christmas 2021- Luke 2: 10-11

In St. Luke 2:10-11 we read, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

These words of Scripture tell us what we celebrate. Christmas is more than a nostalgic winter festival; it is the proclamation of "good tidings of great joy," that is, the Feast of the Nativity preaches the Christian Gospel. It is the message of God the Son coming into the world to save sinful human beings. If we miss that point, the holiday has no real meaning. So let us acknowledge our need for this Savior, and let us confess our faith in the Christ who has come among us so humbly! Glory be to God on high!

Christmas- Luke 2: 12

Christmas can be so beautiful and meaningful. There are so many things that can be said about this feast. This time, I would simply focus on the humility of the glorious event.

St. Luke 2 stresses the humility of Christ's Birth, The holy family goes to Bethlehem because of the requirements of the Roman oppressor. In the crowded village, Joseph does not have the power or wealth to insure better lodgings; so they end up in a stable where Mary gives birth. In St. Luke 2:12, the angel tells the lowly shepherds, “And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  

The Birth of the Savior is not first announced to the powerful, rich, or learned. It is announced to humble shepherds on the outer edges of society. And this unique infant will not be found in an impressive palace or temple. His glory is worthy of heavenly messengers, but it will not be obvious to the world. Instead, He is clothed like an average Jewish peasant baby, wrapped in strips of cloth. And His bed is even more lowly than average. The only bed offered Him is a manger- a rough trough for cattle.

In other words, the shepherds are to recognize their King and Savior by His lowliness rather than by His worldly greatness. The glorious child has finally come, and this is truly good news. Yet, the irony of the heavenly message is that simple shepherds will be the first to pay homage to the new-born King, and they will recognize Him by His humility.

Christmas continues to bring us a similar message. The Savior that we all need still comes through simple means- through the Word and the Sacraments.  His coming is good news; Christmas does bring tidings of great joy. However, this joy is not to be confused with external worldly merriment. Whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food or (more likely in 2020) we just have a simple and small observance, the key is for us to focus upon what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to humble Himself, become flesh and dwell among us. Glory to God in the highest!

Christmas 2019

This Christmas, let us focus for a few minutes on the announcement of the angel to the shepherds. St. Luke 2:10 says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The angel’s message “I bring you good tidings” translates two Greek words which could also be translated as “I announce good news to you” or “I proclaim the gospel to you.”

These words mean that Christ’s Birth is the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel. His Nativity is not an isolated event. It is part of the whole story, one aspect of the entire Christian message. This birth cannot be separated from all that Jesus Christ means in His teachings, life, death, resurrection and ascension.

The story of Jesus brings “great joy.”  Obviously, there are hardships in the story. Joseph and Mary are relatively poor people from a small village in an obscure area. At the whim of the Roman oppressor, they have to make a dangerous and difficult journey for several days. At the end, they have to take shelter in a rock formation used as an animal barn. Mary’s labor is real, and there are evil forces in the world plotting to destroy the holy child.

But despite all the humility and suffering that are part of the story, its message is about deep and lasting happiness, an inner blessedness. And this joy is open to all people. The lowly shepherds are merely the first chosen to hear. They are humble representatives of all God’s people through the ages.

Christmas continues to bring us a similar message. The deliverer that we long for still comes in simple ways. Christ comes to us through the unseen Spirit, the Word recorded in ancient tongues, and sacramental bread and wine. This is really good news; these are tidings of great joy. However, the joy of the message is not to be confused with external worldly happiness.

Sometimes, we do not always have the best external circumstances at Christmas. There may be issues of health, of family, or of job. There may be sad memories. We may not have the time or money or energy to celebrate as we wish. We may not be with some of the people we love. But such externals are not the true joy of the season. Christmas is about a deep joy based on our faith and hope in God’s love, grace and mercy. Such a joy can survive in any circumstance- even as it did in a stable among poor oppressed people.

So whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food  or we just have a simple quiet observance, let us focus upon what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. God the Father sends the divine Savior among us to save us all from sin and death. This is the Gospel; these are tidings of comfort and joy. Glory to God in the highest!

The Best Part of Christmas

Of course, the great celebrations of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are beautiful and impressive. They emphasize the majestic and glorious aspects of the Incarnation. The Prayer Book feasts of St. Stephen, St. John, and Holy Innocents highlight important realities and theological themes.  They remind us of sacrifice, martyrdom, and divine love incarnate. Yet, for me personally, the other days of the Christmas Octave often seem to be the best part of Christmas.

As the year closes, the bustle has diminished, eating a lot is no longer expected, and the Daily Offices and Eucharists can embody a quieter sense of devotion and joy over the Birth of our Saviour. In Morning Prayer, the antiphon still calls us to adore Him. The Te Deum embodies the Creed in a powerful and wonderful form of praise, and the Benedictus has even greater meaning in retrospect than it did before the Nativity. In Evening Prayer, we think of the holy night. The Magnificat has a new and deeper application as we think of the Blessed  Mother with the Holy Child, and the Nunc Dimittis points us to true peace in Christ's light. In the Eucharist, the daily repetition of the Christmas Collect and the Proper Preface for Christmas drive home the true significance of the celebration, and the Gloria in Excelsis seems more than ever the song of the angels. The message of divine grace and love enters into our hearts more strongly.

There are indeed many lovely and important aspects of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Octave, and the Twelve Days. There are pretty carols, candles, vestments, flowers, and greenery. There are important themes and great services. I am not denying or ignoring the role of those things. Yet for me, these quieter times of devotion help to elevate a sense of divine joy above mere holiday merry-making. May the good tidings of great joy of the Saviour remain with us past the Octave and into the New Year. Christmas is not over; its true significance is just beginning to sink in- and it should continue to come into our hearts again and again throughout the church year.

Christmas 2015

In the midst of our Christmas festivities, let us pause to meditate on the meaning of our celebration. To do that, let us focus the announcement of the angel to the shepherds. St. Luke 2:10 says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The angel’s message “I bring you good tidings” translates two Greek words which could also be translated as “I announce good news to you” or “I proclaim the gospel to you.” So the announcement of Christ’s Birth is the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel. His Nativity is an integral part of the whole story, the entire Christian message. This birth cannot be isolated from all that Christ means.

This good news is “of great joy.” Despite all the humility and suffering that will be part of the story, it brings a deep and lasting happiness, an inner blessedness. And the joy is open to all people. The lowly shepherds are merely the first chosen to hear. They are humble representatives of all God’s people.

Christmas brings us a similar message. The deliverer that we have longed for still comes through the work Spirit in Word and Sacrament. This is really good news- tidings of great joy. However, the joy is not to be confused with external worldly happiness. Whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food  or we just have a simple and small observance, let us focus upon what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. Glory to God in the highest!

Christmas Day or the Nativity of our Lord

The greatest mysteries of the faith are often the hardest to write on. What can any mortal say that does justice to the awe-inspiring event of the Incarnation of God the Son? So in this post,  I will just do two simple things.

First, let me cite 4 verses from one of the Epistles for this day. Hebrews 1:1-4 says it wonderfully- 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
These words point us to the meaning of the celebration.  They point to Christ's identity and His work for salvation. The whole revelation of God in Scripture finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

Secondly, I would highlight a phrase from A General Thanksgiving which was first included in the 1662 Prayer Book. May we all bless or thank God for His "inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ." Christmas has been observed in been many ways over the centuries, but giving thanks to God for sending His only begotten Son into this fallen world to save us is the real purpose for the celebration!

Christmas

The Feast of Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ commemorates an event and also proclaims a key theological concept- the Incarnation. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (St. John 1:14). Of course, we celebrate the birth of a great person in human history, but as Christians, we celebrate much more; we celebrate the transcendent and eternal God coming in human flesh. If we can focus on that reality, then we will raise the level of our own observances beyond a simple birthday party. We will move into the realm of mystery, awe, and thanksgiving. And if we really appreciate the mystery of the Incarnation,  maybe we will become better witnesses to a world in desperate need of God in Christ.

The Feast of the Nativity

Finally, it's Christmas Eve, and for both secularists and traditional Christians, Christmas is at hand. Soon there will feasting and opening of packages across the land, and those who have not been saying it all month will say "Merry/Happy Christmas" (or for some the generic "Happy Holidays"). Yet that is about as far as the common elements go. Popular culture tells us that Christmas is about over. It's easy to understand why people may feel that way. Indeed, even those of us who truly appreciate Christmas can be glad that the commercial and media season is ending. A month of holiday sales, shiny packages, secular winter songs, reindeer cartoons, and so forth is too much.

However, for traditional Christians, this is not the end of Christmas. In fact, it is the beginning. The first celebrations of Christ's Birth will occur as evening comes, and the twelve days of Christmas begin. And the twelve days are not about partridges in pear trees and other strange gifts. The twelve days celebrate our Lord's Nativity, the surrounding events, and the meaning of the Nativity for our faith. We need to focus on this great and unique event. Jesus the Christ, God the Son incarnate, the eternal Word, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. This historical event is more than a birthday celebration. It has the greatest theological and spiritual significance. Christ has come "to save us all from Satan's power." And He can still "cast out our sin and enter in" to be born anew in our hearts, minds, and souls.

So as Christmas truly begins this evening, let us look beyond all the pleasant mundane distractions of the holidays. Let us find some times of reflection to center upon the Incarnation of the One who has come, still comes in Word and Sacrament, and will come again to save us. Gloria in excelsis Deo!