FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 21, 2025
On Christmas eve and Christmas morning, the Church proclaims the Gospel of Luke. We hear how Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a manger because there was no room at the inn. When God became human, he was homeless, poor and on the margins of society. We also read how angels from heaven came to sing of the miracle of the incarnation. However, they came only to poor shepherds, another group of outcasts. Luke emphasizes the humility of God and His love for the poor.
On the feast of the Epiphany a few weeks after Christmas, we read Matthew's Gospel about the magi or wise men who followed a star to Bethlehem and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus came to save all nations, not just Israel.
At Masses celebrated later in the day on Christmas we read the prologue from the Gospel of John. In John's Gospel there is no mention of the birth and infancy of Christ, of Bethlehem or shepherds or magi following a star. John marvels that the Word which existed from all eternity took on human flesh and became one of us. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us". John says that the man Jesus is in fact the Word who existed before the creation of the universe. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God". Jesus is described as the Word that God speaks to reveal Himself. We Christians call the Bible the "Word of God", but the Bible calls Jesus the "Word". Of course we come to know Jesus the Word through the Bible, which is also correctly called God's Word.
As we celebrate that the Word became flesh in Jesus, there is some positive news about Bible sales these days. Even as people attend church less, Bible sales are increasing. According to data from a respected social science agency, Circana, Bible sales rose 11% this year compared with 2024, continuing a steady climb since the pandemic. Here are the USA statistics from the past few years:
- 2023: 13.5 million Bibles sold
- 2024: 16.2 million Bibles sold
- 2025: 18.4 million Bibles sold
The only legitimate way to encounter Jesus is through the four Gospels. Everything that we know about Jesus is found in the Bible. If more Americans are reading the Bible, they are meeting Jesus. It is too much to hope that in a few years the increase in Bible sales may result in an increase in church attendance?
