Jesus gives us the greatest, fullest, choicest blessing.  For he is our high priest and the one mediator between God and humans.

We read that the Savior’s coming to earth means God’ blesses the land.  In other words, Jesus stands for God’s gift of life (J.L.McKenzie, “Bless, Blessing,” Dictionary of the Bible).

And with life come vigor, strength, health, fertility, well-being and peace.  In turn, peace spells welcome, harmony, communion, brotherhood or sisterhood and solidarity.  So then, Jesus’ birth is the birth of blessing, of peace and all that is good.

Yet the one who is God’s blessing in person does not get a welcome.  Hence, he is poor at birth and has a manger for a crib.  Besides, for him to be born of a woman means to empty himself.  And all this lets us know that he cannot but turn poor to be God’s blessing.

Jesus, then, poor, rejected, empty of self, reveals at his birth the truth he will later preach on a mountain:  “Blessed are the poor ….” He spells out, yes, what we have to be and do to receive God’s blessing.  And peace and all the good things that come with blessing and peace.

This truth turns out to be so strange to us that God has to reveal it.  But he reveals it just to the little, simple, folks like the shepherds, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary.  And all those who accept it, keep it, and reflect on it in their hearts, get to know this:  to attain the eternal blessing, peace and bliss is to follow Jesus Christ (SV.EN III:384).

Lord Jesus, grant to us to be poor and simple folks.  We shall thus welcome you and you will be for us the greatest, fullest and choicest blessing.  And put your name on us to save us, and make ours the bliss of those you call to your Supper.  

1 January 2026
Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Num 6, 22-27. 12-14; Gal 4, 4-7; Lk 2, 16-21