In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us; upon His shoulder dominion rests; and His name shall be called the Angel of great counsel (Isa 9:6).
Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds (Ps 97:1).
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us; upon His shoulder dominion rests; and His name shall be called the Angel of great counsel.
A Reading from the letter to the Hebrews
Heb 1:1-12
God, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the world; Who, being the brightness of His glory and the image of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, has effected man’s purgation from sin and taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much superior to the angels as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels has He ever said, You are My Son, I this day have begotten You? and again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, And let all the angels of God adore Him. And of the angels indeed He says, He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But of the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of Your kingdom. You have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows. And, You in the beginning, O Lord, did found the earth, and the heavens are works of Your hands. They shall perish, but You shall continue; and they shall all grow old as does a garment, and as a vesture shall You change them, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.
Heb 1:1-12
God, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the world; Who, being the brightness of His glory and the image of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, has effected man’s purgation from sin and taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much superior to the angels as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels has He ever said, You are My Son, I this day have begotten You? and again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, And let all the angels of God adore Him. And of the angels indeed He says, He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But of the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of Your kingdom. You have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows. And, You in the beginning, O Lord, did found the earth, and the heavens are works of Your hands. They shall perish, but You shall continue; and they shall all grow old as does a garment, and as a vesture shall You change them, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.
R. Thanks be to God.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to God, all you lands (Ps 97:3-4, 2.).
The Lord has made His salvation known: in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice. Alleluia, alleluia.
A sanctified day has shone upon us; come, you nations, and adore the Lord: for this day a great light has descended upon the earth. Alleluia.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
John 1:1-14
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 were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him He gave the power of becoming sons of God; to those who believe in His name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh Genuflect, and dwelt among us. And we saw His glory - glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father - full of grace and of truth.
John 1:1-14
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 were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him He gave the power of becoming sons of God; to those who believe in His name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh Genuflect, and dwelt among us. And we saw His glory - glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father - full of grace and of truth.
Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Homily by Pope St Gregory the Great,
8th on the Gospels.
By God's mercy we are to say three Masses to-day, so that there is not much time left for preaching; but at the same time the occasion of the Lord's Birth-day itself obliges me to speak a few words. I will first ask why, when the Lord was to be born, the world was enrolled? Was it not to herald the appearing of Him by Whom the elect are enrolled in the book of life? Whereas the Prophet saith of the reprobate Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. Ps. lxviii. 29. Then, the Lord is born in Bethlehem. Now the name Bethlehem signifieth the House of Bread, and thus it is the birth-place of Him Who hath said, I am the Living Bread, Which came down from heaven. John vi. 51. We see then that this name of Bethlehem was prophetically given to the place where Christ was born,.because it was there that He was to appear in the flesh by Whom the souls of the faithful are fed unto life eternal. He was born, not in His Mother's house, but away from home. And this is a mystery, showing that this our mortality into which He was born was not the home of Him Who is begotten of the Father before the worlds.
8th on the Gospels.
By God's mercy we are to say three Masses to-day, so that there is not much time left for preaching; but at the same time the occasion of the Lord's Birth-day itself obliges me to speak a few words. I will first ask why, when the Lord was to be born, the world was enrolled? Was it not to herald the appearing of Him by Whom the elect are enrolled in the book of life? Whereas the Prophet saith of the reprobate Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. Ps. lxviii. 29. Then, the Lord is born in Bethlehem. Now the name Bethlehem signifieth the House of Bread, and thus it is the birth-place of Him Who hath said, I am the Living Bread, Which came down from heaven. John vi. 51. We see then that this name of Bethlehem was prophetically given to the place where Christ was born,.because it was there that He was to appear in the flesh by Whom the souls of the faithful are fed unto life eternal. He was born, not in His Mother's house, but away from home. And this is a mystery, showing that this our mortality into which He was born was not the home of Him Who is begotten of the Father before the worlds.
From Holy Rosary by St. Josemaria Escriva – the Nativity
A decree of Caesar Augustus has been proclaimed, ordering the whole world to be enrolled. For this purpose, every person must go to the city of his ancestors. —Since Joseph is of the house and family of David, he goes with the Virgin Mary from Nazareth to the city called Bethlehem, in Judea (Luke 2:1-5).
And in Bethlehem is born our God: Jesus Christ! —There is no room at the inn: He is born in a stable. —And His Mother wraps Him in swaddling clothes and lays Him in a manger.
Cold. —Poverty... —I am Joseph's little servant. —How good Joseph is! —He treats me like a father. —He even forgives me if I take the Child in my arms and spend hour after hour saying sweet and loving things to Him!...
And I kiss Him —you kiss Him too! —and I rock Him in my arms, and I sing to Him, and I call Him King, Love, my God, my Only-one, my All!... How beautiful is the Child and how short the decade!
And in Bethlehem is born our God: Jesus Christ! —There is no room at the inn: He is born in a stable. —And His Mother wraps Him in swaddling clothes and lays Him in a manger.
Cold. —Poverty... —I am Joseph's little servant. —How good Joseph is! —He treats me like a father. —He even forgives me if I take the Child in my arms and spend hour after hour saying sweet and loving things to Him!...
And I kiss Him —you kiss Him too! —and I rock Him in my arms, and I sing to Him, and I call Him King, Love, my God, my Only-one, my All!... How beautiful is the Child and how short the decade!
Pray 5 decades of the Rosary meditating on the Joyful Mysteries
