Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on December 24th, in the morning, we gather for mass. It is the last mass of advent because in the evening we will be celebrating Christmas Eve mass. It is beautiful that in today’s morning mass we are reminded of the profound promises of God therefore, promises that resonate throughout time and continue to inspire hope in our hearts. The readings we will hear provide a rich tapestry illustrating how God keeps His word, fulfilling every prophecy regarding the Messiah, especially through the lineage of King David.
In the First Reading from 2 Samuel, we see King David, having achieved peace and stability, reflecting on his circumstances. He dwells in a beautiful house of cedar while the Ark of the Covenant, the very presence of God, resides in a tent. This discrepancy weighs on his heart, prompting him to desire to build a temple for the Lord. However, God has other plans. Through the prophet Nathan, God reveals that it was He who chose David from humble beginnings, leading him to shepherd His people.
God makes a covenant with David, promising not just a physical structure, but an everlasting dynasty—"Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever." Now, no false prophet or false religion, would ever dare to make such a bold prophecy. For should that dynasty and throne end, it would be ridiculed as false and illusory, a cleverly crafted deception at best. Yet, this particular promise transcends David’s earthly reign; it reaches into eternity, affirming that from his lineage would arise the Messiah. Through David, God establishes a profound truth: He is faithful to His word, and His plans will unfold across generations, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ, who embodies the fullness of the promise and who’s reign will somehow be eternal.
The Gospel from Luke further illuminates this theme through the words of Zechariah, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaims God's faithfulness to His people. He celebrates the coming of the mighty Savior, born of David’s house, affirming that God has indeed raised up a deliverer, Jesus Christ, to set us free from our enemies. This deliverance is going to be tremendous. Zechariah is right, however even he does not yet grasp the full magnitude of what kind of deliverance God was intending. The people of God had been waiting for Him to overcome the Romans, but there was an enemy far greater than the Romans and any dynasty on earth for all would have to succumb to it, since all have sinned. That enemy was death. Was – in the past tense. Jesus, through his passion, death and resurrection, overcomes death, which Scripture calls his “final enemy”. This then, is the true enemy the Messiah, the Son of God, God from God, Light from Light, would come into the world to overcome. Zechariah was inspired to be thinking big, but he wasn’t thinking big enough. God was about to do the unspeakable, and lay down his life as a ransom from death, for all those who close their eyes in this life believing in him and having lived by his will.
As we reflect on these readings, let us take God’s promises seriously and approach them with grateful and hopeful hearts. Our hope is not rooted merely in wishful thinking; it is anchored in the certainty that we serve a God who is faithful, who keeps His word, and who is ever-present in our lives. May we turn to Him in trust, knowing that He fulfills His promises—today, tomorrow, and forever, for his greatest promise is eternal life.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother and Queen, may the Lord deliver you from death, the second death, the eternal death of hell – you and all your loved ones, through the tiny Babe about to be born unto us this very night. Merry Christmas, and praised be Jesus, now and forever.
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