The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas (Solemnity) ~ 25 December

JESUS CHRIST is born,

GLORIFY Him.

Let the earth rejoice! The Nativity of the Lord, Christmas is a day of great joy for the church. At the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (25 March), angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), and announce to Mary, the Blessed Virgin that she had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord, and Mary's fiat was her willing acceptance of God's holy plan and exactly nine months later comes the Nativity of the Lord, (Christmas, 25 December). Christmas is more than a the birth of Christ Jesus, far more important Christmas acclaims the Incarnation. God chose to become a human being in the person of Jesus,. the advent of messianic salvation. Christ was sent among us in order to save us. Therefore at Christmas day, what we celebrate is that of the ultimate fulfilment of God’s saving purpose begins with the birth of Jesus (the word became flesh), the messianic Saviour. At sundown on 24 December, Advent ends and we begin the Christmas Season, the period between 25 December (Christmas day) and 6 January (Epiphany) has become an occasion for the church to celebrate and give thanks for the arrival of God’s Word made flesh, Jesus the Emmanuel, “God with us" who is the light of God that has come into the world, the light that even death could not extinguish.

The main liturgical colour for the Christmas Season is white, which expresses joy and glory. Gold, which expresses honor and praise, and is sometimes used in place of white. The Catholic church will celebrate five important feast during the Christmas Season which are as follows:

1. The Nativity of the Lord, 25 December is the of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, on the first Sunday after Christmas dedicated to each member of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph of their life together and the celebration focuses on religious family life.
3. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, 1 January is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. However, when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated (temporarily waive).
4. The Epiphany of the Lord, 6 January celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.
5. The Baptism of the Lord, the Sunday after 6 January commemorates Christ's Baptism by St. John the Baptist.

Wednesday, 25 December, 2013
The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas (Solemnity)

Midnight Mass
Reading 1

Isaiah 9: 1 - 6
1	But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb'ulun and the land of Naph'tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2	The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
3	Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4	For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.
5	For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6	For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Psalm

Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 11 - 13
1	O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2	Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3	Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
11	Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12	let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
13	before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

Reading 2

Titus 2: 11 - 14
11	For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,
12	training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,
13	awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14	who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Gospel

Luke 2: 1 - 14
1	In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
2	This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria.
3	And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.
4	And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5	to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6	And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.
7	And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8	And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9	And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
10	And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;
11	for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12	And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14	"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

Morning Mass
Reading 1

Isaiah 62: 11 - 12
11	Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."
12	And they shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought out, a city not forsaken.

Psalm

Psalms 97: 1, 6, 11 - 12
1	The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
6	The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
11	Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12	Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Reading 2

Titus 3: 4 - 7
4	but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5	he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,
6	which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7	so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel

Luke 2: 15 - 20
15	When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16	And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17	And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;
18	and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19	But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20	And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Day Mass

Reading 1

Isaiah 52: 7 - 10
7	How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8	Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
9	Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10	The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Psalm

Psalms 98: 1 - 6
1	O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2	The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3	He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4	Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5	Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6	With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Reading 2

Hebrews 1: 1 - 6
1	In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
2	but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3	He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4	having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
5	For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"?
6	And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Gospel

John 1: 1 - 18
1	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2	He was in the beginning with God;
3	all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4	In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5	The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6	There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7	He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8	He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9	The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10	He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11	He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12	But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13	who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14	And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
15	(John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
16	And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.
17	For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18	No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

OR

John 1: 1 - 5, 9 - 14
1	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2	He was in the beginning with God;
3	all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4	In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5	The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
9	The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10	He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11	He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12	But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13	who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14	And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.