MIŁOSC KTÓRA NIE TRACI SERCA - Wojciech Jędrzejewski OP

Sermon from Midnight Mass, December 25, 2023 Wojciech Jędrzejewski OP Nativity of the Lord 1st Reading (Isaiah 62:1-5) God loves his people and will send a Redeemer A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah For Zion's sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth like the dawn, and her salvation like a torch burns. Then the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings will call you by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You will no longer be called "Forsaken," nor will your land be called "Desolate." Rather, they will call you "My delight in her," and your land "The Betrothed." For you have pleased the Lord, and your land will receive a husband. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your Builder will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you. 2nd Reading (Acts 13:16-17, 22-25) St. Paul's Testimony about Christ A reading from the Acts of the Apostles When Paul arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, he stood up in the synagogue and motioned with his hand, saying: "Hear, O men of Israel, and you who fear God! The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm he led them out of it. Then he appointed David as their king, about whom he also testified: "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will fulfill my will in all things." From his offspring, according to his promise, God brought forth Jesus, the Savior, to Israel. Before his coming, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And at the end of his ministry, John said: "I am not what you say I am. After me comes one whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." Gospel (Matthew 1:1-25) The Genealogy of Jesus Christ and the Announcement of His Birth Words of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac was the father of Jacob; Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers; Judah was the father of Pharez and Zerah, by whom Tamar was his mother. Pharez was the father of Esrom; Esrom was the father of Aram; Aram was the father of Aminadab; Aminadab was the father of Nahshon; Nahshon was the father of Salmon; Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother was Uriah's former wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam; Rehoboam was the father of Abijah; Abijah was the father of Asa; Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram; Jehoram was the father of Uzziah; Uzziah was the father of Jotham; Jotham was the father of Ahaz; Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah; Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh; Manasseh was the father of Amos; Amos was the father of Josiah; Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers during the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel; Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel; Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud; Abiud was the father of Eliakim; Eliakim was the father of Azor; Azor was the father of Zadok; Zadok was the father of Achim; Achim was the father of Eliud; Eliud was the father of Eleazar; Eleazar was the father of Matthan; Matthan was the father of Jacob; Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus, who is called Christ, was born. Thus, from Abraham to David, there are fourteen generations in all; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations. The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they began to live together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and not wanting to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her secretly. When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him: he took his wife to himself and had no relations with her until she gave birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.