Christmas celebrates the Incarnation, the “enflesh-ment” of God as a human person. In Jesus, God is bodily present in the human story. Today we honor the Holy Family, helping us to see that God is active in daily family life. God is near at hand, amidst the tensions, joys, and uncertainties of family life.

There is a spirit of audacity in our readings today. During a time of injustice and threat of invasion, the prophet Micah boldly announces that the God of insignificant Israel will raise up a leader from backwater Bethlehem, and this leader will bring justice and peace to the whole world.

The prophetic writings we hear in today’s scriptures call us to rejoice and celebrate the goodness ofGod. Zephaniah, Isaiah, Saint Paul, and John theBaptist in Luke’s Gospel all follow the rich tradition of the Biblical prophets, a tradition that reachesfull expression in Jesus. The prophets warn that human failings have truly disastrous consequences.

When John proclaimed a baptism of repentance, as today’s Gospel relates, he called people to a deep change of heart. For John the Baptist, repentance was not simply regret for past failings, but a commitment to orient life around God’s desires and purposes.