First Reading

A reading from the Book of Numbers (6:22-27)

The Lord said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (67:2-3, 5, 6, 8)

(R) May God bless us in his mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R)

May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; you guide the nations on earth. (R)

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (4:4-7)

Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God - The word of the Lord.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

Gospel Acclamation

(R) Alleluia, alleluia!

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son. (R)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:16-21)

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

There is a story of a blind boy. One morning he was sitting on the steps of a building with a hat at his feet and holding up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man who was walking by took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Sir, were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you had said but in a different way. Instead of "I am blind, please help", I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky not to be blind. There is no doubt that the second sign was more effective than the first.

Similarly in today's gospel Luke narrates how the mother of Jesus, Mary and the shepherds show gratitude to God each in their own different way for the same gift - for sending Jesus to earth as our Savior. But Mary's gratitude to God perhaps is the most effective form of expression. Some of us show our gratitude to someone by just saying "thanks". To some, saying thanks isn't enough. Perhaps it is enough to the one being thanked, but to those who are thankful, it seems like more needs to be said or done to express how thankful they are. So they do small acts of kindness in return or in reciprocation. Some show their gratitude by helping others. Some write a quick note or draw a picture to express their appreciation. Some others say a prayer or sing a song or silently list out all the things they are grateful for.

Luke writes that the shepherds went to Bethlehem and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby, "they returned to their place, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen." In other words, they glorified and praised God by speaking to Him and speaking of him to others. They showed their gratitude to God by paying homage and spreading the word. These shepherds recognized what God had done for them and so could tell what they had seen and heard to others. They increased their joy by telling others about the birth of the Savior of all mankind.

One other person who glorified, praised and thanked God was Mary. Luke also narrates Mary's song of praise to God when she visited her cousin Elizabeth. She sang, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (1:46-55) However, in today's passage we see her thankfulness is beyond words. He says, "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." Here, "kept" means that she not only constantly bore these things in her heart but also pondered every detail that surrounded the birth of her son Jesus. It was very special to her. She had heard the good news of being chosen as the mother of God and reflected upon it in her heart, and fully responded to it. Her heart became the place of discovering Jesus, and who he truly is. She "reflected on them in her heart" means that from the moment she accepted the message from the angel to the moment she held his dead body, she reflected upon everything that was associated with her calling to be the Mother of Jesus. And each step of the way, she had to re-affirm that "yes" to the Lord, ever more deeply understanding what her response entailed. She spent her life pondering the visible Word of God that was and is her Son. She grew in knowing him, in comprehending the mystery of God. As someone said, "Thankfulness is more than a comparison of our own circumstances to someone else's. It is more than having enough food to eat, a nice home, good health, or financial security, because any of these can be lost in an instant. Thankfulness is being grateful to God for who we are; His sacrifice for us; and the hope and joy of everlasting life. Thankfulness is a state of being and a way of life for Christians." Blessed Mother Teresa said it much more deeply, "The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with JOY."

As we come to the end of or beginning of another year how do we show our thankfulness to God? If we want to thank and praise Jesus today, like the shepherds did, let us go to the place of worship where we can not only worship and pay our homage but also see, touch and receive His body and blood. Let us tell someone about our Lord Jesus. Let us tell our neighbors about Him. Let us tell our children about Him. Let us tell the persons that we work with about Him. Let us boldly and happily tell both the believers and unbelievers what He has revealed to us. Let us tell them what He has done for us and for our souls. Surely, our greatest joy and satisfaction come from bringing others to Christ, from winning others for Christ.

While helping others to know Him, let us remember, like Mary, what we have heard and learned about our Lord Jesus from the scriptures; from our parents and forefathers. Let us keep in our hearts all that He has done for us. Let us treasure everything about Christ which we have either felt, or known, or seen or believed. Let us then love Him for what He is to us. Let us hold him fast forever more. Let us reflect upon what we experience in our day to day relationship with our spouse, children, siblings, friends and neighbors. Let us go to a place of worship or find a quiet place to think about all that's good - our health, our family, and our home - and simply say "thank you" to our Creator. Let us in joy and with joy, thank the Lord for everything, even for our sufferings. Let us constantly reconnect ourselves to and with our God, the Father to experience the Peace, Joy, Love and Hope that we have exchanged with one another and pray for at the time of Christmas.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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