Readings for December 24, Vigil Mass & Christmas Eve Mass / Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

Vigil Mass

First Reading
Is 62:15

The Lord delights in you.

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah

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 the 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 people 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.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to David my servant:
forever will I confirm your posterity
   and establish your throne for all generations.R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
   in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
   and through your justice they are exalted.R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

He shall say of me, “You are my father,
   my God, the rock, my savior.”
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
   and my covenant with him stands firm.R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Second Reading
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

Paul bears witness to Christ, the Son of David.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,
   he stood 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 Saul and raised up David as 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 of his feet.’”

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Tomorrow the wickedness of the earth will be destroyed:
the Savior of the world will reign over us.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 1:1-25 or 1:18-25

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.

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 Christ.

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 Christ,
   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 conceive 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.

Or: [Shorter Form]

Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.

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 conceive 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.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

Christmas Eve Mass

FIRST READING
Is 9:1-6

A son is given us.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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 people 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!

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13

℟. (Lk 2:11) Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

℟. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

℟. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

℟. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

℟. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Second Reading
SECOND READING
Ti 2:11-14

The grace of God has appeared to all.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to Titus

Beloved:
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 our great God
and 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.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
ACCLAMATION BEFORE THE GOSPEL
Lk 2:10-11

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

I proclaim to you good news of great joy:
today a Savior is born for us,
Christ the Lord.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
GOSPEL
Lk 2:1-14

Today a Savior has been born for you.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

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 Christ 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.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

The Creed is said. All kneel at the words and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate.


Homilies / Gospel Reflections




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