“The Truest and Best Gift Ever Given”: Readings & Sermon for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
The Mass reading selections for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord are selected from the pre-1955 Missal of St. Pius X. Followed by the sermon of Monsignor Thomas Sebastian, Oratory Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, Society of Christ the King.
INTROIT: Isaias 9:6
A CHILD is born to us, and a Son is given to us: Whose government is upon His shoulder and His Name shall be called, the Angel of Great Counsel. Psalm 97:1. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: for He hath done wonderful things. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen. A CHILD is born to us, and a Son is given to us: Whose government is upon His shoulder and His Name shall be called, the Angel of Great Counsel.
COLLECT: GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the new birth in the flesh of Thine Sole-Begotten Son may set us free, whom the old bondage doth hold under the yoke of sin. Through the same Our Lord JESUS CHIST, Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever. Amen.
EPISTLE: Hebrews 1:1 - 12
GOD, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the world: Who being the brightness of His glory and the figure of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath He said at any time: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith: And let all the angels of God adore Him. And to the angels indeed He saith: He that maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of justice is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. And: Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the works of Thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but Thou shalt continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment: and as a vesture shalt Thou change them and they shall be changed: but Thou art the self-same, and Thy years shall not fail.
GRADUAL AND ALLELUIA: Psalm 97:3,4,2
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God: sing joyfully to God, all the earth. V. The Lord hath made known His salvation: He hath revealed His justice in the sight of the Gentiles. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. A sanctified day hath shown upon us: come ye Gentiles and adore the Lord: for this day a great light hath descended upon the earth. Alleluia.
GOSPEL: S. John 1:1 - 14
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was made nothing that was made: in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men; and the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the Light, be he was to testify concerning the Light. That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him to them He gave power to become sons of God, to them that believe in His Name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us: and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
OFFERTORY: Psalm 88:12 – 15
THINE ARE THE HEAVENS, and Thine is the earth, the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded: justice and judgment are the preparation of Thy Throne.
SECRET: SANCTIFY, O Lord, the gifts offered to Thee, by the new birth of Thine Onlybegotten Son: and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, forever and ever. Amewn.
PREFACE OF THE NATIVITY: IT IS TRULY meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God: for through the Mystery of the Word made flesh, the new light of Thy glory hath shone upon the eyes of our mind, so that while we acknowledge God in visible form, we may be through Him be drawn to the love of things invisible. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying: Holy, Holy, Holy…
LAST GOSPEL: S. Matthew 2:1 - 12
WHEN JESUS was born in Bethlehem of Juda in the days of King Herod, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is He that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to adore Him. And King Herod hearing this was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the Prophet. And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule My people Israel. Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them: and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word again, that I may also come and adore Him. Who having heard the king went their way. And behold the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them until it came and stood over where the Child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary His Mother, and falling down they adored Him.
And opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.
SERMON OF MONSIGNOR SEBASTIAN:
Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the Kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in My Name, receiveth Me. – Saint Matthew 18:3 – 5
MOST people equate Christmas with children, and I wish to continue that tradition, but in a different way: let us remove the materialistic view the this Holy Day and put the focus back upon the Christ Child, Whose Nativity we call to mind this morning. The Incarnation of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity is a truly sublime mystery of our Faith and a cause of much reflection and meditation. The Apostle reminds us that our dearest Lord, Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross (Philippians 2:6 – 8). God is perfect humility and perfect charity, for all this He did on account of His love for His creatures, as the Beloved Disciple reminds us, God is love (I S. John 4:8). If we would but come to the manger and adore with the poor shepherds as little children, simple and trusting with complete confidence, we too would rejoice with the heavenly hosts and sing with them, Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will (S. Luke 2:14)!
Let me again direct your attention to the Advent Wreath, fully lit with the pure white centre candle shining bright the pure light of Christ our Newborn King; your souls must imitate this light in such a way that they too shine forth the pure light of Christ. Blessed Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, teaches us that we do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (II Peter 1:19). Holy Isaias, the great Prophet, also declares to us that The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen (Isaias 9:2). Finally we have the exhortation of the Saviour Himself Who proclaims let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven (S. Matthew 5:16). This conforms perfectly to the morning hymn we clergy pray every day, Iam lucis ordo sidere, Now that the daystar glimmers bright, we humbly pray that He, the uncreated Light, may guide us on our way.
Our Lord is the great bright Morning Star, dispelling all darkness and fear, surely leading us to the light of heaven if we will but follow, with the trust and hope of little ones. We must not ever fear to follow Christ, even as we seem to live in a time that appears to be in great darkness and confusion, but I tell you that this is an illusion. Just look around you and see the Children of Light. S. Paul teaches this to us when he writes to the church in Thessalonica: But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. For all you are the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (I Thessalonians 5:4 – 5). Remember that the children of this world do not understand the children of light, because the children of light belong to the Lord Jesus. S. John, the Beloved Disciple, tells us this in this morning’s Gospel, which we normally read at the end of Holy Mass: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (S. John 1:5). If the world in its darkness does not understand the Lord Jesus how will it understand us who follow Him? It is our duty to shine forth the Light of Christ; we must dispel the darkness with the light of God’s grace and truth. The truth is pure – the truth does not hide – the truth is not a subterfuge – the truth bring peace – the truth does not divide nor tear apart.
Our Lord Jesus was born to restore order and grace to mankind, who had turned away from God. He is the Light we follow in order to find God. The night brings confusion and terror: the light of the morning brings rest, tranquility and calmness. Jesus is this Light, He brings us restoration and true peace, as He Himself confirms to us; I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life (S. John 8:12)! Our Blessed Lord and King brings to this world His Light and His Truth, which is exclusively found in His One, True Church, outside of which there is no salvation. If we wish to make the Light of Christ known to all men we must have the courage to proclaim Christ to all, which great charity and truth, with humility and simplicity, as His children: we must believe and confess Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour and enter into the True Church, and then remain therein for the safety of salvation.
The most beautiful feast of the Nativity of the Lord is glorious to both heaven and earth; heaven rejoices because every act of God, Holy and Majestic Trinity, is a continuous manifestation of His power and might; and the earth rejoices because God the Creator’s love is so plentiful that He becomes man in order to save man. Emanuel – God is amoung us! This is the truest and best gift ever given, the gift of the restoration of man’s friendship with God by way of the Most Holy and Blessed Incarnation. S. Pope Leo the Great instructs us of this joyful fact in our lesson from the Second Nocturn at the Holy Office of Matins this morning: Unto us is born this day a Saviour. Therefore let us rejoice. Sadness should find no place amongst those who keep the Birthday of Life. For as of this day Life came unto us dying creatures, to take away the sting of death, and to bring the bright promise of joy eternal. And no one is excluded from sharing in this our gladness. For all mankind hath one and the same cause thereof, to wit, that our Lord, the Destroyer of sin and death, because He findeth no one free from condemnation, is come to set everyone free. Rejoice, O saint, for thou drawest nearer thy crown! Rejoice, O sinner, for thy Saviour offereth thee pardon!
Now with the Angels and the shepherds let us proceed to the crib of the gentle Saviour, the Christ Child surrounded with the greatest love of His most holy and Blessed Mother and Holy Joseph, His foster-father and Guardian. Let us bend our knees and make our hearts bow and offer obeisance to our Eternal God, of Whom the great and holy Prophet Isaias proclaims: For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a Son is given to us, and the government is upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace (Isaias 9:6)!
