The Nativity of the Lord Luke 2:1–14

CHRISTMAS GOSPEL

Jesus Is Born! Luke: Caesar Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the whole world. This first census took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All the people went to their hometowns to register.

Joseph: And so I went from the town of Nazareth to David’s town of Bethlehem—because I am of the house and lineage of David—to register with Mary, my espoused wife, who was with child.

Mary: While we were there, I gave birth to my firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. There was no room for us in the place where travelers lodged.

Joseph: Shepherds lived in the nearby fields and took turns keeping watch over their flock at night.

Shepherds: The angel of the Lord appeared to us, and the glory of the Lord shone around us. We were very much afraid.

Angel: You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you—tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people. For today in David’s city, a Savior has been born to you, the Messiah and Lord. Let this be a sign to you: in a manger, you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Luke: Suddenly, many angels began to praise God and sing with the angel.

Angel: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace on whom his favor rests.

Play and sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (Venture/Visions Music CD, CD-1, #6).

THINK1 Imagine that you live in Nazareth and the Holy Family stops at your home. What help can you offer to them?

2 Parishes and schools often put on Nativity plays or pageants. Which character would you most like to play?

3 The shepherds were not wealthy or powerful. Why, then, do you think that the angels announced the birth of Jesus to them?

December 25, 2019 & January 5, 2020Christmas & Epiphany

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WHAT THE CHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES HANDBOOK

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You learned about the liturgical calendar at the beginning of Advent. Catholics are expected to attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation. These are special days during the Liturgical Year that remind us of important people like Mary, the Mother of God, and events like the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Work with a partner to list the most important events in Jesus’ life. Then do the same for Mary. Turn to page 17 in What the Church Believes and Teaches to see how many you were able to name.

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Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus in our world. In Jesus, God becomes one of us. Because this is such an important celebration, the Christmas season lasts until we celebrate Jesus’ baptism in January. 31

December 25

New Year’s Eve

Look ahead. What do you

want to do in 2020?

This feast day celebrates the Holy Family—Jesus, his mother Mary, and foster father Joseph, who loved Jesus and helped him learn and grow. List ways you think Mary and Joseph helped and taught Jesus as he grew. How do you think his young life compares with yours?

29 Feast of the Holy Family

Christ is born! Find Joseph and his family in the drawing. Who else

do you recognize?

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, a wife and mother, established the first Catholic school in the United States. The Sisters of Charity she founded serve all over the United States.

Saint John Neumann was born in Bohemia (the Czech Republic) and came to America to serve Catholic immigrants. He was the bishop of Philadelphia, where he founded many Catholic parishes and schools.

Celebrate our North American saints.

Write a family New Year’s resolution.

celebrate the Whole Christmas Season

January 5January 4

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January 1

January 5Feast of the Epiphany

Feast of Mary, the Mother of God

26 Saint Stephen

Stephen is the first Christian martyr. Read his story in Acts of the Apostles 6:1–15 and 7:54–60. Read Acts of the Apostles 8:1 to learn what famous Christian approved of stoning Stephen to death.

What was your favorite thing about this Christmas season? What will you change for next year?

Who in your family is named after Mary, or has a name related to Mary’s life? What do you like most about Mary?

28 The Holy Innocents

Saint John, the Apostle, is famous for writing a Gospel and the Book of Revelation. His symbol is an eagle. His writing is like poetry.

Read about Herod’s slaying of children in Matthew 2:16–18. In honor of this day, the youngest child in the family gets whatever he or she wants today.

Saint André Bessette didn’t have much education, but he knew how to listen to people and pray for them. People believed Brother André’s prayers healed them. Pilgrims still come to Saint Joseph Oratory in Montreal to pray to Saint André.

January 6

January 3 The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Catholics celebrate this memorial day which recalls the naming of Jesus. Luke writes, “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (2:21). Say the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus or pray a litany of your own. For example: Jesus, my friend. Have mercy on us. Jesus, patient listener. Have mercy on us.

Bayard supports Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home. Please share your copy of VENTURE with a friend or recycle it properly. Thank you.

celebrate the Whole Christmas Season27 Saint John

Matthew: After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, the Magi arrived from the East in Jerusalem.

Magi: Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising. We have come to pay him homage.

Matthew: When he heard this, King Herod was greatly disturbed. He called all the chief priests and scribes together.

Herod: Where was this Christ born?

Chief Priests: In Bethlehem. The prophet Micah wrote about it.

Micah: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the princes of Judah, since from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

Matthew: King Herod met with the Magi in secret. He asked them when the star appeared.

Play and sing “Christmas Star” (Venture/Visions Music CD, CD-1, #9).

Herod: Magi, go to Bethlehem and look for the child. When you find him, let me know, so I can come and pay him homage too.

Matthew: The Magi left Jerusalem. They followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child was. They

THINK1 Why do the Magi travel to Bethlehem? What are they expecting to see? Why does this alarm King Herod?

2 Why do the Magi bring gifts to Jesus? Who gives you gifts? What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

3 Why do the Magi find a new route home? What dothey fear?

The Epiphany of the Lord Matthew 2:1–12

SUNDAY GOSPEL

The Magi Seek Jesus

were full of joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Later they had a dream, warning them not to return to Herod. So they traveled back home a different way.

Jesus Comes to Save All PeopleJesus is the Messiah, the one for whom the People of Israel had waited. But this Messiah, whom the angel calls Emmanuel or “God-with-us,” comes for all people. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Son of God, became man.

At Christmas, we celebrate that Jesus the Son came to

this world to live among us. At Epiphany, we recall the visit of the Magi to the newborn Jesus, whom they believed to be an earthly king. We celebrate Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, Son of God, and Savior of the world. Jesus’ birth is Good News for us and for all people.

1 The Jewish people who waited for a

Messiah pictured him as a great warrior king who would save them from their enemies. How different is Jesus from what they expected?

2 Why is it important that Jesus came into the world as an infant?

Connecting GOSPEL and DOCTRINE

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Jerusalem

Midian

Sheba

Egypt

Cush

Tarshish and the Isles

Ephah

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A S I A

ARABIA

PERSIA

Mediterranean Sea

Black Sea

Red Sea

Caspian Sea

Persian Gulf

Identify on the map the places in Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word.

■ Where is Jerusalem? Circle it.

■ Where do the Magi come from? Color this area green.

■ Where are Tarshish and the Isles? Arabia? Sheba? Midian and Ephah? Color these areas with different colors.

The Responsorial Psalm describes the Messiah

whom God promised Israel, a king in whose day “justice shall flower” and bring “profound peace.” Like Sunday’s First Reading, this psalm pictures all nations coming to Jerusalem to serve the Messiah.

Read this Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–11, 12–13. Why do you think the Scripture includes the names of all of the countries?

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The word epiphany means “appearance.”

It also means “a sudden discovery.” Sunday’s feast celebrates the revelation of Jesus to the peoples of the world. The Magi or wise men who came from Persia (Iran) to see Jesus were the first non-Jewish people to believe in him. Sunday’s First Reading, Isaiah 60:1–6, pictures all nations coming to worship God in the Temple in Jerusalem, God’s home in the world.

All People Come to Worship Jesus

Our Catholic FAI H

MAGI The three wise men, or kings, who traveled to see the newborn Jesus and pay him homage.

FAITH WORDCatholic

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(IRAN)

Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance...The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;all from Sheba shall come bringing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. Isaiah 60:3, 5–6

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Jesus was born for all people, but people honor and worship him differently. For example, in the United States, one way Christians celebrate Christmas is to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Christians from many other nations wait until the Feast of the Epiphany to give and get presents. They also add their own special traditions and customs.

Puerto Rico January 6 is called Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico. On Epiphany, the Three Kings, dressed in elaborate costumes, visit each house and deliver presents and fruit. Each family holds an open house from January 5 to January 7. Visitors start arriving early in the morning of each day. Families make up songs about the people they expect will drop by for a visit. When these friends do visit, Puerto Rican families sing their songs for them.

Babushka is the Russian Befana. She is too busy to follow the Magi to find the new king. She regrets her choice and sets out with presents for the child. She never catches up to the Magi, so she gives the gifts to other children.

The Whole World Celebrates Jesus’ Birth

Venezuela Venezuelan children write letters to Niño Jesús, or Baby Jesus, instead of to Santa Claus.

In the villages, people gather in the streets to sing and visit with their neighbors. Neighbors also invite other people into their homes to see their pesebres or cribs, which are scenes of the stable in which Jesus was born. Venezuelans decorate pesebres in their homes instead of Christmas trees.

Magi collecting children’s letters during celebration in Barcelona, Spain

Mexico Children in Central Mexico write letters to the Magi. The night before Epiphany, they leave out their shoes, as well as hay or grass and water for the camels. Families add Magi figures to their Nativity scenes. On the morning of January 6, children open their presents. Families gather to share a Rosca de Reyes or “ring of the kings,” which is a sweet bread with dried fruit on top. The bread has an oval shape like the crown of King Herod. A doll tucked inside the bread reminds us of how baby Jesus and his family were forced to hide from Herod. Even the dried fruits are like the many jewels on a crown.

Whoever finds the plastic baby Jesus in their piece of bread has to throw a party on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation, or Candlemas.

Spain Children in Spain learn that the Magi traveled through Spain on their way to Bethlehem. Children traditionally bring torches, bells, and tin cans to the edges of the cities to greet the Magi. Children in Spain fill one of their shoes with straw and put it outside their doors or windows before going to bed on January 5. The straw is for the Magi’s tired camels. When the children wake up the next day, they find presents left for them by the three kings.

Greek-Catholic priest blesses water on an icy Epiphany day.

Italy Italians celebrate Epiphany by retelling the story of an old woman called La Befana. At the birth of Jesus, she met the Magi on their way to Bethlehem. They told her all about the bright star in the sky and

the newborn king they were heading to see. They invited her to go with them, but she stayed home. Later she changed her mind but couldn’t find the Magi or the star. She began to wander from house to house. Italian kids believe she is still wandering. On Epiphany Eve she travels from house to house, leaving gifts in hopes that the house contains the Christ Child.

THINK1 Why do other countries have their Christmas gift-giving and parties on Epiphany rather than on Christmas Day?

2 How does your familycelebrate Epiphany? Which tradition from another country is most like your own? Which would you like to celebrate?

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Bulgaria On the Feast of the Epiphany, children and adults in Bulgaria walk in a parade to the nearest river. A priest breaks a hole in the ice and drops a cross into the water. This symbolizes Jesus’ baptism. People dive into the water to try to find it. The person who finds it is the hero for the day.

A “lucky” man shows the cross he retrieved from an icy river on Epiphany.

Ukraine For many years, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union and public Christian worship was not allowed. Ukrainians often met secretly in the woods or forest for Mass. On Epiphany, they would worship by a river, carve a cross out of the ice, prop it up, and say prayers around it. The priest would also bless the river to make it holy and then release a dove into the air.

Syria Syrians believe that at midnight of Epiphany Eve, every tree bends its trunk and bows its branches to pay homage to baby Jesus. Each tree gives its own kind of gifts: fruit, nuts, berries, or flowers. Some people say that when the tree branches bowed before the Magi, they pointed them toward the “other” way home that the Gospel mentions.

PUZZLE

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Answer the clues and complete the Epiphany Acrostic. Look back to the Gospel on page 4 if you get stuck. One letter for each answer is already provided. Then place the numbered letters in the spaces above to answer the question.

Pray Thank You, God, for all of the gifts I received this Christmas season. I am most thankful for the gifts of Jesus and chief priests. Amen.

ThinkHow will you share the special news of Jesus’ birth with other people? What present would you give to Baby Jesus?

ActLook for a special picture, statue, or window depicting Mary in your church. Gather around and take turns thanking Mary for her being a great mother to Jesus. Pray a Hail Mary together to finish your time with Mary.

With My Family and Friends

Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, August 10, 2019. Theological Reviewer: Reverend Michael T. Martine, S.T.B., J.C.L.; Editorial Director: David Dziena; Editor: Nicholle Check; Designer: Jennifer Poferl. Printed in the USA.

VENTURE copyright © 2019 by Pflaum Publishing Group, a division of Bayard, Inc., sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. Material in this issue may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or format without special permission from the publisher. Page 1 art: © Bayard Presse – Filotéo 254 – Illustration: Aline Bureau; page 2: Ansgar Holmberg, CJS, Archives, CSJ; page 3: Ansgar Homberg, CSJ, CSJ, CNS/CPP/CIRIC; Michael Tortora, Nataly Mayak/Shutterstock.com, EDA, RMDH, renton.ciswa.org, EDA; page 4 art: © Bayard Presse – Filotéo 254 – Illustration: Aline Bureau; page 5: EDA; pages 6-7: JackF/iStock.com, Michael Tortura, Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ, Mike_Pellinni/iStock.com, Cylonphoto/iStock.com, nikitje/iStock.com; page 8: Flat_Enot/Shutterstock.com, Rodin Anton/Shutterstock.com, © Bayard Presse – Filotéo 254 – Illustration: Aline Bureau.

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1 The star shines from this direction.

2 They are busy watching their sheep.

3 The chief priests quote this prophet.

4 Another word for gifts

5 The town where Jesus was born.

6 Jesus’ mother

7 Herod is one

8 One of the gifts given to Jesus

Who Comes to See Jesus?

3EPIPHANY

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Answers are in the Teaching Guide.