December 25 Wednesday-The Nativity of
the Lord (Christmas) Mass at Dawn
Nativity of Our Lord,
Or Christmas.[1]
Sunrise
OF THE SECOND MASS.
The Introit of this
Mass reminds us of the temporal birth of Our Savior in Bethlehem. A light shall
shine upon us to-day, for Our Lord is born to us, and He shall be called
Wonderful, God, the Prince of peace, the Father of the world to come, of Whose
reign there shall be no end” (Is. ix. 6). “The Lord hath reigned, He is clothed
with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded Himself” (Ps.
xcii. 1).
Prayer.
Grant, we beseech Thee,
Almighty God, that we who are filled with the new light of Thy incarnate Word,
may show forth in our works what faith displays in our mind. Through the same
Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen
EPISTLE. Titus iii. 4-7.
Dearly Beloved: The
goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared: not by the works of justice
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the labor of
regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, Whom He hath poured forth upon
us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior: that, being justified by His
grace, we may be heirs, according to hope, of life everlasting in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
What does St. Paul
teach us in this epistle?
He teaches us what God
has done and is doing that we may have eternal life, and why He does it. Not by
our own merits, but according to His mercy, He has saved us by holy Baptism,
for we were conceived and born in sin. Let us show by our lives that we are
renewed by the Holy Ghost, and animated by the hope of life everlasting.
Why did not God have
mercy on the fallen angels?
This is a mystery which
should heighten our love to God, but should also fill us with fear and
trembling, for if we do not use the goodness and kindness of God to our
advantage our punishment will be severer than that of the fallen angels.
GOSPEL. Luke ii. 15-20.
At that time the shepherds said one to
another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass,
which the Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste: and they found Mary
and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of
the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. And all that heard
wondered: and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary
kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it
was told unto them.
How could the shepherds know that the
new-born child was the Savior of the world?
The angels had given them a sign: “You
shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid in a manger,” and
seeing, they believed, fell on their knees, and adored the child. They then
praised God for the graces they had received, and made known what they had
heard and seen to others.
What do we learn from Mary in this gospel?
That we should ponder the divine truths in
our hearts, and, by this heavenly nourishment, strengthen and preserve our
souls in spiritual life.
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