The First Sunday after Christmas

As we gather on this first Sunday after Christmas, our readings guide us beyond the historical event of Jesus’ birth to its profound cosmic and saving significance. The Gospel reading offers us the theological prologue to the Gospel of John. This early Christian hymn describes Jesus as the incarnation—the enfleshment—of the Divine Word, who is one with God, through whom God creates and redeems the world. It also expresses our unity with the Divine through grace and faith. Thus, the birth of Jesus is not simply an event in his story but a pivotal moment in our lives as well.

Our first reading today promises the reestablishment of God’s people in God’s Kingdom. The prophet sees this as a certainty, emphasizing that it is an integral part of the Divine plan of salvation.

In the reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we encounter Paul’s proclamation that in the new covenant, our relationship with God is based on faith rather than adherence to the Law. Paul identifies the source of this new relationship in our unity with Jesus through baptism, which makes us children of God.

This Sunday’s theme highlights the dual role of the Church’s liturgy. While it often celebrates historical events, in our collective action as the people of God, these historical moments are revealed as eternally saving events as well. In the liturgy, time and space are transcended, and we participate in the eternal reality of God’s salvation.