For behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy

WEDNESDAY 25 DECEMBER (Lk 2,1-14)

Our God must always be evangelized in all his works. It is the obligation of those who have seen, tasted and experienced the works of God to manifest them to every other persons, so that true faith in Him may also be generated in other hearts. Faith from faith, truth from truth and light from light. This is the way of true evangelization and of the announcement. Thus the Psalmist:“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. “All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.” Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. 

The obligation of evangelization never fails. Who has tasted the salvation of God is bound to manifest him to every other man: I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, With the smoke of rams;I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah. Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me (Ps 66 (65) 1-20). The gift of the Son of God to the world is the work of God’s works. But still no one knows how much the Lord has done for us. The Father is anxious to evangelize his work. He sends an angel to the shepherds and brings them this great joy: “Today, in the city of David, a Saviour was born for you, who is Christ the Lord”. From this moment on the pastors are responsible for the announcement or evangelization of joy.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Who today has to announce the great joy that comes to us from the mystery of the Son of God who was born for us, died for us and rose again, for us he ascended into heaven and for us sits at the right hand of the Father? This obligation belongs to the Apostles of Christ Jesus and, in communion of truth, grace, love and mercy with them, to every disciple of the Lord, according to the sacrament received, the mission entrusted to him by the gift of the Holy Spirit, with whom he has been enriched. The evangelized pastors evangelize. The evangelized Apostles must evangelize up to the last moment of history. They will have to go to every corner of the earth and preach the Word of life to men.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that every Apostle of the Lord evangelizes the world.