SOCL, Christmas, Dawn

Cycle A,B,C

December 25, 2024

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

See

Sharing the excitement is a very human response. We have all done it at some stage: some great news in the family, perhaps at a promotion or the discovery of a place of spectacular beauty or some situation has turned around. The desire to let others know tells us that sharing such experiences is itself part of the original delight. Something similar may be said of the sense of discovery and delight we find in the Good News of Jesus. Like, the prophets of old (Jeremiah 6:19) or like St Paul (1 Cor 9:16), we just can’t keep it in! We want, we need to let others know to complete our delight and our sense of discovery.

Listen

Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97 (96); Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20

Reflect

(Luke 2:15-20)

-The shepherds "went in haste" to find Jesus. Consider your own eagerness to encounter Christ. What moves you to seek Him with urgency in your daily life?

-"Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." In the midst of the Christmas excitement, how do you make space for quiet reflection and wonder?

-The city once called "Forsaken" becomes "Frequented." Reflect on areas in your life where God has transformed abandonment into abundance. How has God's presence renewed you?

-The shepherds returned "glorifying and praising God." After encountering Christ, how does your life reflect and share the joy of this experience with others?

-The shepherds were both frightened and thrilled. Good news can sometimes be terrifying. Pregnancy and the birth of a child can give rise to both feelings. Hopefully the joy and wonder at new life outweigh the fear and apprehension. What has been your experience?

Pray

God of the Dawn, You break into our world with new light, transforming shepherds into evangelists and the forgotten into Your holy people; help us, like Mary, to treasure Your presence in the quiet of our hearts, and like the shepherds, to share with joy all we have seen and heard, so that we may become frequented places of Your grace, never forsaken and always renewed by the kindness and generous love You have poured out in Jesus, letting this Christmas dawn renew our hope and make us bearers of Your light; through Christ, our newborn Lord. Amen.