THE GOSPEL
Christmas Day
John 1:1-18 (long form); 1:1-5, 9-14 (short form)And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
God
Is
Love.
Love
came as
a babe in
Bethlehem to
be there within us,
so we could find him:
see him, touch him, hear him,
let him hold our hand,
know him better,
love him more.
His name is
Jesus.
“We
can only
stand in awe-struck silence
and wonder at this love
that is beyond all
telling.”*
* Rahner, Encounters with Silence
THE FIRST READING
Mass During the Night
Isaiah 9:1-6You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.
For
a child
is born to us,
a son given us.
Mary gave birth to her firstborn son.
Upon his
shoulders authority rests.
His victory is vast and forever peaceful.
You will find him wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.
Here is the name they give him: Wonder-Counselor,
God-Hero, Father-Forever,
Prince of Peace,
Jesus.
Come,
let us adore him.
THE SECOND READING
Christmas Dawn and Christmas Day
Isaiah 62:11-12 and Hebrews 1:1-6
For to which of the angels did God ever say:
“You are my son; this day I have I begotten you”?
To
our ancestors
God spoke in partial
and various ways, tacitly
through prophets and others
as through a wall or over or around it.
To us,
he spoke directly,
through his
Son.
O God in your kind and generous love,
you speak to us, face to face,
straight to our hearts
through Christ.
Let us listen,
help us
hear.
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