Saturday December 25 – claretonline

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS)

Flesh From Our Flesh
A Recognizable God
The Face of God

Both the playing of the organ and the lighting of the church remain subdued during the processional entrance of the minister. One of the ministers goes to the lectern for announcing the Christmas proclamation. There is full lighting after the Proclamation.

1. Flesh from Our Flesh

Christmas Proclamation

Two thousand years ago, in the immense and powerful Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken. Somewhere in the border region of Palestine, a young, humble couple, Mary and Joseph, set out from the insignificant town of Nazareth and traveled to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. There was no room for them in the inn, and so Mary gave birth to a son and had to put him in a manger. An angel said to poor shepherds: “That child lying in the manger is the Savior born to you and to the world: He is Christ the Lord.” This same news is proclaimed to us: Your Savior is born to you. You are happy and you smile. But now you must proclaim in word and deed that Jesus is your Savior and Lord. Let your mercy and love proclaim him. Let your sense of justice and fairness proclaim him. Let your love and unity proclaim him. Let your concern for the poor and your welcome to the weak proclaim him. Then we can really sing with one voice tonight: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to the people he loves.”

Greeting

The Lord is here with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Yes, we are assured tonight that the Lord is really with us: He smiles on us through a little child lying newborn in a manger. God has come to us in his humble way. The star of his coming has come to rest on this church, on this community. Are we humble and little enough to accept him the way he comes to us?

Because of the Christmas proclamation, the Penitential Act could perhaps be omitted. For those who prefer to keep it:

Penitential Act

We have lost our freshness and grown tired
because of our sins and failures.
Let us tell the Lord that we are sorry
and acclaim his coming among us.
(pause)
People living in darkness,
here comes your light.
Let it enlighten and save you:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

People wounded and burdened,
here comes your Savior.
Let him heal you.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

People who keep hoping,
here comes God as a child
to make you adults in faith and love.
Let him bring you peace.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Lord, let the peace of your pardon
come over us and over our world.
Lead us to the joy of a new world
and of everlasting life. R/ Amen.

2. A Recognizable God

Christmas Proclamation

In the beginning God created the world.
God created the human person as a partner.
He guided this person all throughout his history.
God calls Abraham and Abraham gives up his idols.
He becomes a pilgrim.
God calls Moses and humanity gives up its chains.
The human person too becomes a liberator.
Gad calls David and humanity gives up its wanderings.
The human person becomes someone who hopes.
God calls the prophets
and people begin to give up sin.
The human person becomes God’s voice.
God calls up witnesses who believe in him
and people give up their security.
The human person becomes a martyr.
God calls a man named John:
John leaves everything and goes to the desert.
There God waits for him to speak to him.
And God gives his Son, born of Mary.
And to our great joy, everything begins anew.

Greeting

The Lord be with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Tonight the world is reminded how God became flesh from our flesh and blood from our blood. He joined us in our human poverty as he was born from the Virgin Mary in a stable by the roadside. There people could see how God had eyes to smile at us, ears to hear our cries and stammering, arms to extend to us and embrace us, a heart to beat for us and to love us, a mouth to speak to us words of endearment and truth, a life to live for us and to give up for us. Has his coming changed us and brought us close to him?

Penitential Act

Jesus came among us as our Savior,
to liberate us from our sins.
Have we become better because of him?
Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you came to bring us peace.
Let it also be the peace of your forgiveness.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, you came to bring us light.
Let it brighten all we do:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you came to bring us life:
Let our lives reflect the goodness of yours:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Deliver us Lord, from the sadness of sin
and fill us with the joy of your life and love.
Lead us to the happiness of everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to our loving God
for giving us Jesus
(pause)
Glory to you, God in the highest,
for bringing peace on earth to your people
and for letting your Son Jesus smile on us
from the arms of Mary, his mother.
Let him be our hope and our joy,
our forgiveness and our life.
Create us anew in the image of Jesus,
for then we become more like him,
you may recognize us in him
and our love can become deep and faithful.
Help us to give him to the world,
that all may become fresh and new again
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Reading 1: Is 52:7-10

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 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.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

(3c) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
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. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
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 saving power of God.
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. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
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. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Reading 2: Heb 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.

Alleluia

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. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Jn 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.

Or Jn 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.

Intercessions

Joy is to be shared. Let us pray to Jesus our Lord that the Good News of his coming may warm the hearts of all, and let us say: