Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.)
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (52:7-10)

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, “Your God is King!”

Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry, together they shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes, the Lord restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6)
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. (Ps 98:3c)

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R)

The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R)

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. (R)

SECOND READING (God has spoken to us through the Son.)
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (1:1-6)

Brothers and sisters: In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my son; this day I have begotten you? Or again: I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me? And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth. (R)

(Long Form)

GOSPEL (The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (1:1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him. —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

(Short Form)

GOSPEL (The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (1:1-5, 9-14)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

COLLECT
Let up Pray (pause)
O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature
and still more wonderfully restored it,
grant, we pray,
that we may share in the divinity of Christ,
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Make acceptable, O Lord, our oblation on this solemn day,
when you manifested the reconciliation
that makes us wholly pleasing in your sight
and inaugurated for us the fullness of divine worship.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

PREFACE I OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(Christ the Light)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For in the mystery of the Word made flesh
a new light of your glory has shone upon the eyes of our mind,
so that, as we recognize in him God made visible,
we may be caught up through him in love of things invisible.

And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory
as without end we acclaim:

Or

PREFACE II OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(The restoration of all things in the Incarnation)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For on the feast of this awe-filled mystery,
though invisible in his own divine nature,
he has appeared visibly in ours;
and begotten before all ages,
he has begun to exist in time;
so that, raising up in himself all that was cast down,
he might restore unity to all creation
and call straying humanity back to the heavenly Kingdom.

And so, with all the Angels, we praise you,
as in joyful celebration we acclaim:

Or

PREFACE III OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(The exchange in the Incarnation of the Word)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For through him the holy exchange that restores our life
has shone forth today in splendor:
when our frailty is assumed by your Word
not only does human mortality receive unending honor
but by this wondrous union we, too, are made eternal.

And so, in company with the choirs of Angels,
we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:

When the Roman Canon is used, the proper form of the Communicantes (In communion with those) is said.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Cf. Ps 98 (97):3)
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us Pray (pause)
Grant, O merciful God,
that, just as the Savior of the world, born this day,
is the author of divine generation for us,
so he may be the giver even of immortality.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

SOLEMN BLESSING
Bow down for the blessing.
(The priest, with hands extended over the people, says the blessing.)

May the God of infinite goodness,
who by the Incarnation of his Son has driven darkness from the world
and by that glorious Birth has illumined this most holy day,
drive far from you the darkness of vice
and illumine your hearts with the light of virtue.
R. Amen.

May God, who willed that the great joy
of his Son’s saving Birth
be announced to shepherds by the Angel,
fill your minds with the gladness he gives
and make you heralds of his Gospel.
R. Amen.

And may God, who by the Incarnation
brought together the earthly and heavenly realm,
fill you with the gift of his peace and favor
and make you sharers with the Church in heaven.
R. Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, X and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
R. Amen.

Homily

Is 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-6
Jn. 1:1-18

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’
Have you ever had the experience of buy a new car? Or worse, being in a different city or country, and attempting to rent a car there? It is quite a task.
When all the work of paying for the car, or the rental, and the questions of insurance are done, they hand you THE KEY – or not… something that does not even look like a key (such as today’s new ignition starters). You get into the driver’s seat and there are lots of switches I’ve never seen before and place to even put a key – oh… that thing they handed you isn’t a key!
What do you do? Well, when no one is looking (as men think they “know all this, innately”) you look for the handbook – knowing (or hoping) that this will be the key (or the source for telling you “where the key is?”
But I find it a bit disconcerting reading on page after page, in a special panel box “Warning, danger of …” And every so often it reads “Danger of death.” It’s a risky business getting to know a car – but then perhaps that is the point that the manual is trying to make.
The same point applies to getting to know a person, though we don’t often think of it that way. Indeed cars may be easier; after all once you’ve learnt its complexities it stays the same in a way that people do not. Add to that the fact that the car does nothing to help or hinder you getting to know it.
People are never that easy. Getting to know a person always means receiving from the person, not just knowing about that person. We say, “Let him or her speak for herself,” meaning that only the individuals themselves can truly disclose what they feel or think.

Self-expression in language is essential to knowing a person. One way or another, the person you’re trying to get to know has a controlling contribution to your efforts. There’s no way of getting around that.
So it is that the Gospeller John tells us that God expresses himself so that we may know him. ‘The Word became flesh.’
That Word was already expressed in the created world – ‘all things were made through him’ – but what we know of God in the wonders of creation is no more than the manufacturer’s handbook in comparison to what we celebrate now. And the same applies to reason, that light that sparks in every person. These things, as wondrous as they are, remain in the realm of ‘knowing about.’ By the coming of Jesus an incandescent beacon is lit that unquenchably lights the path of life: ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’
This is the final step in God’s revelation of himself to his people. He comes to where we are; he lives where we live. He dwells with us, as John puts it – literally, “He pitched his tent among us!”
You get to know a person by living with them. That’s the horror of all who have ever gone off to university and been introduced to “the roommate,”. Or for those of us who live in communities of priests and religious, the frightening prospect of meeting confreres.
Characteristics and foibles come to light that are entirely unanticipated and too often unwelcome. Getting to know a person can have unfortunate consequences. But Jesus is not the unbearable flat-mate or roomate. His living with us makes plain in human terms the profoundly loving and gracious heart of God. He discloses himself to us, and we come to know him as true Saviour and friend. The only Son makes God knowable, not just know-about-able.
This living with us never ends. The promise is that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he is there in the middle of them (Matthew 18:20). Saint Paul calls the church the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27) and he means it literally. The baby born in Bethlehem – touchable, noisy, beautiful, attention needing, and the rest –all the urgencies of a human life, remains all those things in the fellowship of those who believe in him.
We are to be the people who know God, not the people who know about God. We are taught by the scriptures, nourished by the bread and wine of the Eucharist, and embraced by the companionship of the faithful, we live with Christ in the household of God’s people. Living together makes for a getting to know one another that’s unique and deep – if we’ll let it be.
Christ is at home with us. Bring your problems home – you know you’ll find comfort there. Bring your tiredness home – you know you’ll find rest and recuperation there. Voice your heartfelt concerns at home – you know you’ll find a listening ear. Celebrate at home – for there, those who love will gladden your heart. The loving-kindness and faithfulness of God dwells with us. Let’s get to know him, especially on this Christmas Day!
As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us pray that this glory of the Lord will be with us throughout the coming year so that we may always shine as bright stars in the love of Jesus. May the joy and peace of the Lord always be with you. Merry Christmas everyone!

Prayers

Celebrant: Brothers and Sisters, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us pray to God in thanksgiving for the gift of His Son.

READER: At the birth of Jesus, angels proclaimed peace to the world. We worship him now with joy, and we pray with hearts full of faith: May your birth bring peace to all. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: Lord, fill your holy people with whatever good they need,

• let the mystery of your birth be the source of our peace. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.
  READER: You came as chief shepherd and guardian of our lives,
• may Pope Francis, our Bishop, Stephen, and all bishops be faithful channels of your many gifts of grace. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.
  READER: King from all eternity, you desired to be born within time and to experience the daily life of men and women: Share your gift of unending life with us. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.
  READER: Awaited from the beginning of the world, you came only in the fullness of time; now reveal your presence to those who are expecting you. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.
  READER: And for the intentions we carry in our hearts, and for all those who have asked for our prayers and who we remember now in silence. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Lord, we pray that you grant our prayers and the unspoken prayers of our hearts in the name of your Son Jesus who brings light and hope to the world and lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit world without end. (all) AMEN.