When we celebrate Christmas, we are commemorating the three nativities of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the readings are different throughout the Masses on Christmas. The first nativity is the eternal begetting of God the Son from all eternity within the mystery of the Blessed Trinity by the Father. This first nativity was before the seven days of creation, when everything was darkness. This first Mass is traditionally celebrated at midnight to recall the darkness that prevailed during that first eternal birth of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
The second nativity is commemorated on Christmas day when Jesus became man, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem. For the world, the darkness was beginning to be dispelled. This is why the second Mass is traditionally celebrated early in the morning when dawn’s early light is beginning to dispel the darkness.
The third nativity of Jesus is when He is born in our souls, through His in-dwelling, when man, through grace, becomes enlightened. Thus, the third Mass is celebrated during the day when the sun is bright. For man is truly enlightened when he has Christ in his soul.
The first nativity reminds us of the creation narrative - that all things are created by God and are to be used for His glory. The second nativity reminds us that like Christ in the manger, we are called to give up seeking the physical comforts, pleasures, and conveniences of the world. True happiness can only be found in God and when this happens, our hearts are at rest and find true peace. The third nativity reminds us as that only when we choose to put Christ at the center of our lives can Christ be born in our souls and reign as Lord of our lives.
Christmas also reminds us that Christ was born to die. For us the message is clear. We are born to die to oneself. This means reaching a point in our lives when we no longer do our own will but the will of the Father in heaven. This is to lose one’s life in order to find it. If we recognize the lessons of the first nativity, if we live the lesson of the second nativity, our reward is the third nativity when Christ is born in our souls...indeed our eternal Christmas. This is truly a Merry Christmas.
—Excerpted from Fr. Odon de Castro, Bo. San Isidro, Magalang, Pampanga, Philippines
From: catholicculture.org
