Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Missal January-February 2025

Second Sunday after Christmas
2nd week, alternate

FIRST READING

From the Book of Sirach (Sir 24:1-4, 12-16 (NV) [gr. 24:1-2, 8-12])
Wisdom praises herself, in God she finds her boast, in the midst of her people she proclaims her glory. In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, before his hosts she proclaims her glory, in the midst of her people she is exalted, in the holy assembly she is admired, in the multitude of the chosen she finds her praise and among the blessed she is blessed, while she says: “Then the creator of the universe gave me a command, he who created me made me pitch my tent and said to me: ‘Pitch your tent in Jacob and take your inheritance in Israel, sink your roots among my chosen ones.’ Before the ages, from the beginning, he created me, and throughout eternity I shall not fail. In the holy tent I ministered before him, and so I was established in Zion. In the beloved city he made me dwell, and in Jerusalem is my power. I have taken root among a glorious people, in the portion of the Lord is my inheritance, and in the assembly of the holy ones I have taken up residence.” – The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the First Reading

The first reading presents wisdom personified, praising herself in God’s presence and acknowledging that she is admired among the people: “In the multitude of the chosen she finds her praise and among the blessed she is blessed.” Then the moment comes when the Creator says to her: “Pitch your tent in Jacob and take your inheritance in Israel… and so I was established in Zion.” The wisdom described here is Jesus himself, the Word of life and truth. He is the wisdom in whose presence the faithful rejoice; he is the wisdom who pitched his tent among human beings, even though they did not recognize him. In response to this word, the responsorial psalm has us reply: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This is the greatness of Christianity! We do not have to seek God or go to him, because God has already come among us and pitched his tent in our lives: “Do you not notice it?” the prophet Isaiah would say.

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians (Eph 1:3-6, 15-18)
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. In him he chose us, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him in love, predestining us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the loving plan of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has graced us in the beloved Son. Therefore I too, [Paolo], having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love you have for all the saints, continually give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation for a deep knowledge of him; may he enlighten the eyes of your heart so that you may understand the hope to which he has called you, the riches of glory contained in his inheritance among the saints. – The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Second Reading

 The text is divided into two parts. In the first part, Paul, so joyful that he is almost breathless, raises a hymn of praise to God the Father for Jesus Christ, his Son, who came among us. Blessing upon blessing. In the second part, instead, praise of God embraces the brothers and sisters in faith who share his experience. For all of them Paul prays and implores God so that each may grow in knowledge and experience of Jesus, because the more we know him, the more we will understand what he has called us to: heaven! And to do this, he himself became like us, to make us like him: holy among the holy. These expressions show how much God trusts all of us, how he has not regretted creating us in his image: God believes in us, and in Jesus is the definitive Word with which he wants to tell us all his love for us. It is up to us, then, to respond to him with songs of joy.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John (Jn 1:1-18)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God: all things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be of what exists. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man came, sent by God: his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. [The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, and his own did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God: to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.] John testified to him and proclaimed: “This was he of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” From his fullness we have all received: grace upon grace. For while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God: the only-begotten Son, who is God and is at the Father’s side, has revealed him. – The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

During this Christmas season, this Gospel passage has been presented to us several times. What may seem like a trivial repetition is instead a way in which the Liturgy wants to help us explore and deepen the mystery of Christmas. Amid the many lights of this season, the passage aims to help us focus on what is essential, to grasp that Jesus is “Light from Light, true God from true God.” All things came to be through him. There is another detail worth emphasizing: we are not only invited to seek what is essential, what matters is Jesus, but also to understand that there is something essential in our lives, sometimes hidden even from ourselves. We are so absorbed in external things that we fail to notice there is a “something more” waiting to be found; there is something essential in our hearts waiting to be recognized. And to recognize it, I have been given a light of wisdom (First Reading) so that I may understand to what height (Second Reading) I am called to direct my gaze: holiness.