The Dawn has Come

Sunrise

(2 Sm 71-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16; Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29; Lk 1:67-79)

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke, 1:78-79

 The dawn breaks over the horizon, a vast and sparse landscape. Light begins to move in, slowly, steadily, filling the cool crisp morning air. Luminous rays of gold shoot forth preceding the rising sun and the end of darkness. Color explodes across the sky as the sun rises higher and higher and light overtakes all the gloomy shadows in it’s path. The quiet majesty of daybreak brings peace and instills hope; it brings the promise of life to things great and small, all things that are touched by it’s radiance. The long night is over.

Today is Christmas Eve. The dawning of Christianity is being remembered as we make the final preparations in our hearts to celebrate our saviors birth. His presence in the world preceded his birth much like the light of the sun that comes before it’s rise over the horizon. He was safely cared for in his mother’s holy womb, known only to a select few people. Emmanuel, “God is with us;” he is the promise to God’s people made long ago, the messiah who saves the world from darkness. Our readings today remind us of the promises God made through out history, of his mercy, faithfulness and justice. We hear from the prophet Nathan in the second book of Samuel that the Lord will build the house of David into a dynasty that will reign for ever. King David responds in the best way possible because he responds with humility and thanksgiving. He knows that God is the Lord of hosts and he, David is but a servant. This is not the way many kings before and after David have acted! Finally, a king worthy to carry a lineage that would give rise to the long awaited king of peace. The psalm reiterates,

I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages. 89:4, 5

 In our gospel reading from Luke, we hear the Canticle of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, who’s prophecy was the work of the holy spirit; he reminds all those around him that God is faithful and God will fulfill the promises he made to the Israelites long before. He proclaims his son John as the one who will prepare the people for the coming of the king; the light, the path to peace, Christ, the anointed one. These readings are perfectly selected for today, as they stretch our minds back through salvation history and through the covenants God made with humanity that reconciled us to our creator. It feels like a long, long road to mere mortals, but to God, perhaps the time leading up to the birth of Jesus is more like a dark, cold, six month winter. Now we are a world bathed in light because Christ has come, and he is with us. If we think of the new convent as only twenty four hours long, where would we be now, two thousand years after the first coming? Is it only nine o’clock in the morning? Is it noon? Is the afternoon creeping on and the day slowly coming to a close? All we know for sure is that The Light is with us; Christ is here and we, the baptized all take part in his mystical body. Let us guard very, very carefully the flame of Christ within us; a light meant to be seen and shared. Let our words and actions always profess this light.

As the sun rises tomorrow, on the day we celebrate the nativity of the Word made flesh, I pray that we keep our hearts, our minds, and our bodies open for Christ. I pray that we share the immense love he has for us with others; I pray for peace in the world and in our families.

 O Oriens

splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Amen.

About the Author

Hello! My name is Laura Kazlas. As a child, I was raised in an atheist family, but came to believe in God when I was 12 years old. I was baptized because of the words that I read in the bible. I later became a Catholic because of the Mass. The first time my husband brought me to Mass, I thought it was the most holy, beautiful sense of worshiping God that I had ever experienced. I still do! My husband John and I have been married for 37 years. We have a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. We are in the process of adopting a three year old little girl. We live in Salem, Oregon in the United States. I currently serve as the program coordinator for Catholic ministry at a local maximum security men's prison. I‘m also a supervisor for Mount Angel Seminary’s field education program, in Oregon.

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5 Comments

  1. Dear Jesus Christ,

    As your nativity approches we pray to you that may someone can help us in the US for the free treatment of our daughter Jemaima Hosanna who is suffering from Leukemia, relapsed BMT. She needs to be treated with clinical trials called CAR-T cell Theraphy we do not have financial capabilities to pay for the treatment as it is very expensive. Our time is running out…Please help us..
    Happy birthday Jesus…

    jerwin04@eim.ae
    Eduardo Esteban
    +971504578426

  2. It is interesting that our accounts from the early years of Jesus are told by Luke who was not around when Zechariah spoke these words and as well as accounts of the Annunciation and the birth of Christ. The only one who could have told these stories is Mary. All the accounts of the early of Jesus could have only come from one person who was alive when the gospels were written.
    During the season we all have these stories in our own family. Family stories are important and bond generations. Stories will be told and retold over the next few days. They all have messages for future generations.
    Mary is speaking to us down the generations of the Glory of God and the light of the world coming into our lives. Merry Christmas!

  3. Thank you , for this beautiful reflection
    we are truly blessed knowing The Lord
    loves us so much . Let us give Him a gift
    also . A sacrifice be it big or small , a kind action towards someone. A visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Forgiving someone who has hurt us, praying in the morning/midday and night. Praying before meals. Something that will keep us focused on Our Lord through out the day. If we begin to do these little things for Him our lives will be transformed. Our children will be watching us and we will be leading by example and we will lead them to Christ !

    Eduardo , try St Judes Children Research Hospital in Los Angeles Ca

    Thank you , Brenda and may
    The Lord bless all of you at A Catholic Moment . Merry Christmas !
    Rejoice !! For Our Savior is born!!

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