Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Posted on December 24, 2020 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 1:18-24 (NKJV)
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife.
Devotion
The Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord provides for us the first proclamation of our Lord’s birth at the end of the penitential season of Advent. It has prepared us to meet our Lord and Savior in our flesh. The reading for today gives us one more preparation. St. Joseph must also be prepared to receive our Lord Jesus. His betrothed wife, Mary, is found to be with Child of the Holy Ghost.
If this happened to any of us it would give us pause. St. Matthew tells us that St. Joseph, being a just man and not wanting to publicly shame her, decided to put her away secretly. However, while he thought on these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and prepared him to receive the Child and His mother. Just as this day provides us with the first proclamation of our Lord’s birth, St. Joseph is the first person recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel to hear of his Lord’s birth.
This Child has come to be our Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil. He has come to lead us out of darkness into His eternal light. Through the preaching of the Gospel we have come to know the Mysteries of that Light. His messengers have been sent to proclaim to us to cling in faith to this Child, for in Him is found life and light.
Prayer: O God, who hast made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light, grant, we beseech Thee, that, as we have known on Earth the mysteries of that Light, we may also come to the fullness of its joys in Heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
