First Reading
Mass During the Night (Isaiah 9:1-6)
Mass at Dawn (Isaiah: 62:11-12)

1. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”The “Glory of the Lord” was showing around the shepherds, and the wise men followed the star. Doesn’t the whole world need “the true light, which enlightens everyone”? What makes Christ the true light? Would you consider the Pandemic, the climate crisis, and social injustice “darkness” in the world right now, that needs the “true light”? How can you spread the light in your part of the world?
 
2. “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent.” Do you know people like Archbishop Romero, Rutilio Grande and John Lewis, who did not keep silent about Christ’s justice and truth? Who are the people in your world today who do not “keep silent”? Are you unable to keep silent with your works/actions as well as with words?

Second Reading
Mass During the Day (Hebrews 1:1-6)
Christmas Mass at Dawn (Titus 3:4-7)

1. “In time past, God spoke in partial and various ways.” When Jesus came, God was speaking directly to us. Does he still speak to us today through the Holy Spirit, “whom he richly poured out on us”? Does he/she speak to you in homilies, books, the poor people, friends, in prayer, in joy, in sorrow, in beauty, in love? Everywhere?

2. “ … not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy. … ” Why did the Father send his Son to be with us? Could it be that the Father loved us so much he sent his Son to be with us, and that, in showing us how much he loved us, we could be motivated to return his love?

Gospel
Mass During the the Day (John 1:1-18)

1. “In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... He was in the world.” What is John saying about the Christ, creation, and the book of Genesis? Was Christ’s salvific mission universal for all people and all creation?

2. Discuss Pope Francis’ “God with Us” remarks below.”

If you want to find God in the world today where might you start looking? What enables you to see the divine in the ordinary?

God has willed to share our human condition to the point of making himself one of us in the person of Jesus, who is true man and true God. But even more surprising, is that Jesus becomes man not in an ideal world, an idyllic [one], but in this real world, marked by so many things, good and bad, marked by divisions, wickedness, poverty, arrogance and wars. In this way God shows that he is merciful towards humanity, and filled with love for us. He is God-with-us: do you believe this? The birth of Jesus brings us the good news that we are loved immensely and individually by God—and God not only helps us to know this love for each of us, but also gives and communicates this love to us.

 God is with us
December 18, 2013 General Audience