Christmas Day

Scripture Reading for Today:

Isaiah 62:6-12, Psalm 97, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:1-20

Isaiah 62:6-12

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;

they will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the Lord,

give yourselves no rest,

7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem

and makes her the praise of the earth.

8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“Never again will I give your grain

as food for your enemies,

and never again will foreigners drink the new wine

for which you have toiled;

9 but those who harvest it will eat it

and praise the Lord,

and those who gather the grapes will drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.”

10 Pass through, pass through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people.

Build up, build up the highway!

Remove the stones.

Raise a banner for the nations.

11 The Lord has made proclamation

to the ends of the earth:

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your Savior comes!

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.’”

12 They will be called the Holy People,

the Redeemed of the Lord;

and you will be called Sought After,

the City No Longer Deserted.

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;

let the distant shores rejoice.

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes on every side.

4 His lightning lights up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images are put to shame,

those who boast in idols—

worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and rejoices

and the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments, Lord.

9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,

for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light shines on the righteous

and joy on the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,

and praise his holy name.

Titus 3:4-7

3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas

Here we are on Christmas Day, the end of Advent, but also the beginning of the season of Christmas, not just a single day. For some, a season of Christmas means the season of social over-commitment. Where the season is extended because there are so many family and friend gatherings that the celebration extends into January. But, in the church calendar, the season is marked by the time between the Feast of the Nativity on December 25 until Epiphany on January 6th. A day may mark the movement from the anticipation of Advent to the celebration of the reality of the incarnation – the moment when God became human. And yet, this moment is the start of something new, a world being made new.

The lectionary reading from Titus today begins, “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us….” I was struck by this gentle framing of the moment of the incarnation – when kindness and love appeared. The transformation happens quietly, grounded in love and kindness, and it makes all the difference. 

May I encourage you today that even when things are tough, even when kindness is the least likely description of your experience, Creator’s presence in the world is grounded in love and kindness, and it is the breath that we breathe. May love be your guide today and throughout the season of Christmas (and beyond). 

Thank you!

Thank you for reading along with us this year. Each year, I am so grateful for the community of readers who eagerly read reflections from authors they may or may not know. And in the process, open their hearts to be touched by the reflections in this collection.

A huge thank you to all the authors who shared their hearts for the Advent Reader this year. Your words and images have been earnest and insightful, vulnerable and courageous. I am grateful for how you have articulated your story and how it fits inside God’s story. It has been a joy to work with all the contributors this year.

Thank you to Elle Pyke and Jared Siebert, who created the visuals alongside the contributor’s words and wrote their own reflections. This Advent Reader is a team effort, and I am grateful for the way our small team came together this year to continue our Advent Reader tradition.

Thank you to those of you who have already donated to New Leaf in gratitude for the Advent Reader. If you have appreciated this collection, we suggest a $25 donation, and larger gifts will also support the wider network work. With your financial backing, we can keep working with Canadian leaders to make and develop this resource. If event 10% of readers were encouraged enough to offer a gift, then the financial support can make this project sustainable. Thank you for the encouraging notes and donations that help us make this project happen each year.

We have so much to be thankful for. As we head into 2026, the New Leaf Network continues to feel the pull of listening to and working with leaders in the Canadian church. We have some plans for the coming year. Would you help us continue this work with a donation? 

If a donation is not possible at this time, there are many ways to support the work that we do. Sharing our events and resources on social media and within your networks. Buying a book from New Leaf Press. Subscribing or reviewing the podcasts in the New Leaf Podcast Network. Attending an event in the coming year. Reaching out to us to let us know what you are doing in the Canadian church, or how we can help. We appreciate all the ways you engage with New Leaf throughout the year.

As you celebrate Christmas this year, may the Coming Light of Jesus leave footprints of love and kindness in your heart.

Peace to you during this season of Christmastide,

Amy Bratton
Editor, New Leaf Advent Reader
Director of Operations & Publishing, New Leaf Network

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