🗓️Dec 24Vigil of Christmas

🕯️The Vigil of Christmas constitutes the pinnacle of Advent preparation, being a day of deep expectation and prayerful silence that precedes the birth of the Savior. In the traditional liturgical calendar prior to 1950, this date was observed with rigorous fasting and abstinence, symbolizing the purification necessary to welcome the Incarnate Word. The commemoration focuses on the mystery of Divine Providence guiding history, from the prophetic promises made to the patriarchs to the moment eternity touches time. It is a day when the Church contemplates the figure of Saint Joseph, the just man, and the holiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, preparing the hearts of the faithful for the angelic announcement. The focus is not merely a historical recollection, but a spiritual readiness for the advent of Christ in the soul and His second coming in glory.

📖Epistle (Rm 1, 1-6)

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, which He had promised beforehand through His Prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was made to Him of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was predestinated the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead; by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in all nations, for His name; among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ our Lord.

📜Gospel (Mt 1, 18-21)

When Mary His Mother was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call His name Jesus. For He shall save His people from their sins.

⭐Joseph's Justice and the Obedience of Faith

🕊️The liturgy of the Vigil of Christmas presents the mystery of the Incarnation through the lens of justice and divine providence, connecting the royal lineage of David to the virginal birth of Christ. Saint Paul, in the Epistle, establishes that the Gospel is not an isolated novelty but the fulfillment of prophetic promises, where Jesus is recognized as the Son of God in power. This theological reality finds its human testing in the trial of faith of Saint Joseph; his justice, as Saint Augustine teaches, was manifested in his refusal to condemn what he did not understand, preferring to withdraw before the ineffable mystery he perceived in Mary (Sermon 191, 4). The Catechism of the Catholic Church reinforces that the name of Jesus, revealed in the Gospel, means "God saves," indicating that His coming is specifically destined for the remission of sins and the restoration of friendship between God and humanity (CCC 430). The Roman Missal, in this vigil, invites the faithful to an "obedience of faith" analogous to that of Joseph, who upon waking from his dream, acted according to the Lord's command. Saint Thomas Aquinas observes that Christ's coming in the flesh was necessary so that the divinity might become accessible to our limited understanding, and that Joseph served as the necessary guardian to protect the dignity of the Mother and the Son before the law (Summa Theologica, III, q. 29, a. 1). Thus, the Vigil teaches us that welcoming the Savior requires a heart purified by faith and humility, recognizing that He who was promised by the prophets is the same who today desires to be reborn in every Christian. The connection between the Davidic lineage and the operation of the Holy Spirit reveals that grace does not destroy nature but elevates it, transforming human history into the stage of eternal salvation.

🔗See English version of the critical articles here.