Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord: Readings & Sermon
The Mass readings for the Circumcision of the 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.
EPISTLE: Titus 2:11 - 15
DEARLY BELOVED: For the grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men; Instructing us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, Looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to Himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These things speak, and exhort: in CHRIST JESUS our Lord.
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. Hebrews 1:1- 2 God Who in divers manners poke to in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by His Son. Alleluia.
GOSPEL: St. Luke 2:21
AT THAT TIME: after eight days were accomplished, that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
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.
COMMUNION VERSE: Psalm 97:3
ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH have seen the salvation of our God.
SERMON of Monsignor Sebastian:
After eight days were accomplished, that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. – S. Luke 2:21
FOR PEOPLE OF OUR TIME it seems odd that we should celebrate the Lord’s Circumcision and so this morning I want to teach you of its significance for us and our salvation. In the Book of Genesis, given to us by Holy Moses, we read of the First Covenant between God and Abraham, our Father in Faith:
Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep My Covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is My Covenant which you shall observe, between Me and you, and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circumcised: And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, that it may be for a sign of the covenant between Me and you. An infant of eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations: he that is born in the house, as well as the bought servant shall be circumcised, and whosoever is not of your stock: And My Covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant. The male, whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant (Genesis 17:9 – 14).
Our Lord and King Jesus Christ reminds us: Do not think that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill (S. Matthew 5:17). And so on the eighth day after His birth S. Luke teaches us in His Gospel that on this day the Lord is circumcised and named; this is why we commemorate this as a significant day in the Life of Christ, but also, and perhaps more importantly, it marks the first offering of His Sacred Body and the first shedding of His Precious Blood for our salvation. This is confirmed by the Apostle in this morning’s Epistle, reminding us that Our Most Blessed Lord gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (S. Titus 2:14).
We must be ever mindful that the Lord began the work of our redemption from the moment of His Incarnation in the womb of His Virgin Mother and sets about His Father’s business (cf. S. Luke 2:49) immediately after His glorious birth. God spares no time when it comes to providing us with His much needed grace, which conquers sin and spiritual death: And where sin abounded, grace did more abound. That as sin hath reigned to death; so also grace might reign by justice unto life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:20 – 21). The Apostle further teaches us that: This blessedness then [that is, to be holy and sinless], doth it remain in the circumcision only, or in the uncircumcision also [That is, is it only for the Jews that are circumcised? No, says the Apostle, but also for the uncircumcised Gentiles: who, by faith and grace, may come to justice; as Abraham did before he was circumcised]? For we say that unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice. How then was it reputed? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith, which he had, being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, being uncircumcised, that unto them also it may be reputed to justice: And might be the father of circumcision; not to them only, that are of the circumcision, but to them also that follow the steps of the faithful, that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham (Romans 4:9 – 12). And so, as the circumcision was an outward sign for the seed of Abraham, Holy Baptism now becomes the outward sign, that is, the Sacrament, of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, Who is God. Again quoting the Apostle: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (Galatians 6:15).
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We love you. Save souls. Amen.
