Christmas Vigil|
Midnight Mass
Mass At Dawn|
Mass During Day
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and
said, "Fellow Israelites and you others
who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this
people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted
the people during their sojourn in the land
of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out of it. Then
he removed him and raised up David as their
king; of him he testified, 'I have found David,
son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will
carry out my every wish.' From this man's
descendants God, according to his promise, has
brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John
heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism
of repentance to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he
would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I
am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I
am not worthy to unfasten the sandals
on his feet.'
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the
son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham
became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father
of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father
of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the
father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father
of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was
Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose
mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of
Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother
had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the
father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the
father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father
of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the
father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh
the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his
brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became
the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father
of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the
father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok
became the father of Achim. Achim, the father
of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar
became the father of Matthan. Matthan the father
of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband
of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called
the Messiah. Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen
generations; from the Babylonian exile to the
Messiah, fourteen generations.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came
about. When his mother, Mary, was betrothed to
Joseph, but before they lived together, she was
found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph
her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet
unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to
divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into
your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her. She
will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.
" All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet:
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child
and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,
"which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the
Lord had commanded him and took his wife into
his home. He had no relations with her until she
bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a
great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land
of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy and great
rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the
harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on
their shoulder, And the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle, every
cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel
for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, From
David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he
confirms and sustains By judgment and justice,
both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of
hosts will do this!
For the grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and
worldly desires and to live temperately, justly,
and devoutly in this age, as we await the
blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of
the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all
lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people
as his own, eager to do what is good.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that the whole world should be
enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when
Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went
to be enrolled, each to his own town. And
Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town
of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the
house and family of David, to be enrolled with
Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While
they were there, the time came for her to have
her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn
son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn. Now there were
shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people. For
today in the city of David a savior has been
born for you who is Messiah and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find
an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying
in a manger. " And suddenly there was a
multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying: "Glory to God in
the highest and on earth peace to those on
whom His favor rests."
See, the LORD proclaims to the ends of the
earth: Say to daughter Zion, your Savior comes!
Here is his reward with him, his recompense
before him.
They shall be called the holy people, the
redeemed of the LORD, And you shall be called
"Frequented, " a city that is not
forsaken.
But when the kindness and generous love of God
our Savior appeared, not because of any
righteous deeds we had done but because of his
mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly
poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and
become heirs in hope of eternal life.
When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, "Let us
go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that
has taken place, which the Lord has made
known to us." So they went in haste and
found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in
the manger. When they saw this, they made
known the message that had been told them
about this child. All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on
them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had
heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of Him who brings glad tidings, Announcing
peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation,
and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!
" Hark! Your watchmen 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.
In times past, God spoke in partial and various
ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in
these last days, He spoke to us through a 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 first-born into the world, He says:
"Let all the angels of God worship Him."
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 theFather'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.
For Zion's sake I will not be silent, for
Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, Until
her vindication shines forth like the dawn and
her victory like a burning torch. Nations
shall behold your vindication, and all kings
your glory; You shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall
be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a
royal diadem held by your God. No more shall
men call you "Forsaken," or your land
"Desolate," But you shall be called
"My Delight," and your land "
Espoused." For the LORD delights in you,
and makes your land his spouse. As a young
man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry
you; And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.