In Nativitate DominiNativity of the Lord

℣ O Lord, ✠ open my lips.

℟ And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

℣ O God, ✠ come to my assistance.

℟ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Alleluia.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

Come, let us exult in the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to God, our Savior. Let us anticipate his presence with confession, and let us sing joyfully to him with psalms.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all gods. For the Lord will not drive away his people. For in his hand are all the limits of the earth, and he beholds the heights of the mountains.

Ant. Come, let us adore.

For the sea is his, and he made it, and his hands established the dry land. (kneel) Come, let us adore and fall prostrate before God, and let us weep before the Lord who made us. For he is the Lord our God, and we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts: as in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me; they tested and saw my works.

Ant. Come, let us adore.

For forty years, I was near to that generation, and I said: These have always strayed in heart. But they have not known my ways. To them I swore in my wrath: They shall not enter into my rest.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us adore.

Ant. Christ is born for us: * Come, let us adore.

O Jesus, Redeemer of all,

Whom before the origin of light

The supreme Father brought forth

Equal to the Father's glory.

You are the light and splendor of the Father,

You the everlasting hope of all;

Attend to the prayers

Which your little servants pour forth throughout the world.

Remember, O Creator of all things,

That once, of our body,

Born from the sacred womb of the Virgin,

You took on our form.

This present day bears witness,

As it runs through the circle of the year,

That you alone came from the bosom of the Father

As the salvation of the world.

This the stars, the earth, the seas,

This all that is under heaven,

Salute as the Author of new salvation

With a new song.

And we, whom the blessed wave

Of sacred blood has washed,

On account of your birthday

Offer the tribute of our hymn.

Jesus, to you be glory,

Who were born of the Virgin,

With the Father and the loving Spirit,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

Nocturn I

Ant. The Lord said * to me: You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

Psalm 2 [1]

2:1 Why have the Gentiles been seething, * and why have the people been pondering nonsense?

2:2 The kings of the earth have stood up, and the leaders have joined together as one, * against the Lord and against his Christ:

2:3 “Let us shatter their chains * and cast their yoke away from us.”

2:4 He who dwells in heaven will ridicule them, * and the Lord will mock them.

2:5 Then will he speak to them in his anger * and trouble them with his fury.

2:6 Yet I have been appointed king by him over Zion, his holy mountain, * preaching his decree.

2:7 The Lord has said to me: * You are my son, this day have I begotten you.

2:8 Ask of me and I will give to you: the Gentiles for your inheritance, * and the ends of the earth for your possession.

2:9 You will rule them with an iron rod, * and you will shatter them like a potter’s vessel.

2:10 And now, O kings, understand. * Receive instruction, you who judge the earth.

2:11 Serve the Lord in fear, * and exult in him with trembling.

2:12 Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord might become angry, * and you would perish from the right way.

2:13 When his wrath soon flares up, * blessed are all those who trust in him.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. The Lord said to me: You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

Ant. Like a bridegroom * the Lord comes forth from his bridal chamber.

Psalm 18 [2]

18:2 The heavens describe the glory of God, * and the firmament announces the work of his hands.

18:3 Day proclaims the word to day, * and night to night imparts knowledge.

18:4 There are no speeches or conversations, * where their voices are not being heard.

18:5 Their sound has gone forth through all the earth, * and their words to the ends of the world.

18:6a He has placed his tabernacle in the sun, * and he is like a bridegroom coming out of his bedroom.

18:6b He has exulted like a giant running along the way; * (7a) his departure is from the summit of heaven.

18:7b And his course reaches all the way to its summit. * Neither is there anyone who can hide himself from his heat.

18:8 The law of the Lord is immaculate, converting souls. * The testimony of the Lord is faithful, providing wisdom to little ones.

18:9 The justice of the Lord is right, rejoicing hearts. * The precepts of the Lord are brilliant, enlightening the eyes.

18:10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for all generations. * The judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves:

18:11 desirable beyond gold and many precious stones, * and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

18:12 For, indeed, your servant keeps them, * and in keeping them, there are many rewards.

18:13 Who can understand transgression? † From my hidden faults, cleanse me, * (14a) and from those of others, spare your servant.

18:14b If they will have no dominion over me, then I will be immaculate, * and I will be cleansed from the greatest transgression.

18:15a And the words of my mouth will be so as to please, * along with the meditation of my heart, in your sight, forever,

18:15b O Lord, my helper * and my redeemer.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Like a bridegroom the Lord comes forth from his bridal chamber.

Ant. Grace has been poured * upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you for ever.

Psalm 44 [3]

44:2a My heart has uttered a good word. * I speak of my works to the king.

44:2b My tongue is like the pen of a scribe * who writes quickly.

44:3 You are more beautiful in form than the sons of men. † Grace has been poured freely into your lips. * Because of this, God has blessed you in eternity.

44:4 Fasten your sword to your thigh, * O most powerful one.

44:5a With your splendor and your excellence * extended, proceed prosperously, and reign

44:5b for the sake of truth and meekness and justice, * and so will your right hand lead you wondrously.

44:6 Your arrows are sharp; the people will fall under you, * into the hearts of the enemies of the king.

44:7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. * The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of true aim.

44:8 You have loved justice and hated iniquity. * Because of this, God, your God, has anointed you, before your co-heirs, with the oil of gladness.

44:9 Myrrh and balsam and cinnamon perfume your garments, from the houses of ivory. * From these, they have delighted you: (10a) the daughters of kings in your honor.

44:10b The queen stood at your right hand, in clothing of gold, * encircled with diversity.

44:11 Listen, daughter, and see, and incline your ear. * And forget your people and your father’s house.

44:12 And the king will desire your beauty. * For he is the Lord your God, and they will adore him.

44:13 And the daughters of Tyre * will entreat your countenance with gifts: all the rich men of the people.

44:14 All the glory of the daughter of its king is inside, * in golden fringes, (15a) clothed all around with diversities.

44:15b After her, virgins will be led to the king. * Her neighbors will be brought to you.

44:16 They will be brought with gladness and exultation. * They will be led into the temple of the king.

44:17 For your fathers, sons have been born to you. * You will establish them as leaders over all the earth.

44:18a They will remember your name always, * for generation after generation.

44:18b Because of this, people will confess to you in eternity, * even forever and ever.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Grace has been poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you for ever.

℣ Like a bridegroom.

℟ The Lord coming forth from his bridal chamber.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. Hear the prayers of your servants, Lord Jesus Christ, and have mercy on us: You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the eternal Father bless us with his everlasting blessing.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 1

Isa 9:1-6

1 In the earlier time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were lifted up. But in the later time, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, was weighed down.

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. A light has risen for the inhabitants of the region of the shadow of death.

3 You have increased the nation, but you have not increased the rejoicing. They will rejoice before you, like those who rejoice at the harvest, like the victorious exulting after capturing the prey, when they divide the spoils.

4 For you have prevailed over the yoke of their burden, and over the rod of their shoulder, and over the scepter of their oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every violent plunder with a tumult, and every garment mixed with blood, will be burned up and will become fuel for the fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And leadership is placed upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called: wonderful Counselor, mighty God, father of the future age, Prince of Peace.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Today the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin for us, that he might call back fallen man to the heavenly kingdoms:

* The host of Angels rejoices, for eternal salvation has appeared to the human race.

℣ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.

℟ The host of Angels rejoices, for eternal salvation has appeared to the human race.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ Today the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin for us, that he might call back fallen man to the heavenly kingdoms: * The host of Angels rejoices, for eternal salvation has appeared to the human race.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the Only Begotten Son of God be pleased to bless and assist us.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 2

Isa 40:1-8

1 "Be consoled, be consoled, O my people!" says your God.

2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out to her! For her malice has reached its end. Her iniquity has been forgiven. She has received double for all her sins from the hand of the Lord.

3 The voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight the paths of our God, in a solitary place.

4 Every valley will be exalted, and every mountain and hill will be brought low. And the crooked will be straightened, and the uneven will become level ways.

5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed. And all flesh together will see that the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

6 The voice of one saying, 'Cry out!' And I said, 'What should I cry out?' 'All flesh is grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.

7 The grass has dried up, and the flower has fallen. For the Spirit of the Lord has blown over it. Truly, the people are like grass.

8 The grass has dried up, and the flower has fallen. But the Word of our Lord remains for eternity.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Today true peace has descended to us from heaven:

* Today the heavens have flowed with honey throughout the whole world.

℣ Today there has shone upon us the day of new redemption, of ancient restoration, of eternal blessedness.

℟ Today the heavens have flowed with honey throughout the whole world.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and hearts.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 3

Isa 52:1-6

1 Rise up, rise up! Clothe yourself in strength, O Zion! Put on the garments of your glory, O Jerusalem, the city of the Holy One! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer pass through you.

2 Shake yourself from the dust! Arise and sit up, O Jerusalem! Loose the chains from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!

3 For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money.

4 For thus says the Lord God: My people descended into Egypt, in the beginning, in order to sojourn there. But the Assyrian oppressed them, without any cause at all.

5 And now, what is left for me here, says the Lord? For my people have been taken away without cause. Their lords treat them unjustly, says the Lord. And my name is being continually blasphemed all day long.

6 Because of this, my people will know my name, in that day. For it is I myself who is speaking. Behold, I am here.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Whom have you seen, O shepherds? Speak, tell us: who has appeared on earth?

* We have seen the newborn, and the choirs of Angels praising the Lord.

℣ Tell us, what did you see? And proclaim the birth of Christ.

℟ We have seen the newborn, and the choirs of Angels praising the Lord.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ We have seen the newborn, and the choirs of Angels praising the Lord.

Nocturn II

Ant. We have received, * O God, your mercy in the midst of your temple.

Psalm 47 [4]

47:2 The Lord is great and exceedingly praiseworthy, * in the city of our God, on his holy mountain.

47:3 Mount Zion is being founded with the exultation of the whole earth, * on the north side, the city of the great king.

47:4 In her houses, God will be known, * since he will support her.

47:5 For behold, the kings of the earth have been gathered together; * they have convened as one.

47:6 Such did they see, and they were astonished: they were disturbed, they were moved. * Trembling took hold of them.

47:7 In that place, their pains were that of a woman in labor. * With a vehement spirit, you will crush the ships of Tarshish.

47:9 As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. * God has established it forever.

47:10 We have received your mercy, O God, * in the midst of your temple.

47:11 According to your name, O God, so does your praise reach to the ends of the earth. * Your right hand is full of justice.

47:12 Let mount Zion rejoice, and let the daughters of Judah exult, * because of your judgments, O Lord.

47:13 Encircle Zion and make the circuit of her. * Count her towers.

47:14 Set your hearts on her strength. * And consider her houses in detail, so that you may discourse of it in another generation.

47:15 For this is God, our God, in eternity and forever and ever. * He will rule us forever.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. We have received, O God, your mercy in the midst of your temple.

Ant. In the days of the Lord * an abundance of peace shall arise, and he shall have dominion.

Psalm 71 [5]

71:2 Give your judgment, O God, to the king, * and your justice to the king’s son,

71:2 to judge your people with justice * and your poor with judgment.

71:3 Let the mountains take up peace for the people, * and the hills, justice.

71:4 He will judge the poor of the people, and he will bring salvation to the sons of the poor. * And he will humble the false accuser.

71:5 And he will remain, with the sun and before the moon, * from generation to generation.

71:6 He will descend like rain upon fleece, * and like showers showering upon the earth.

71:7 In his days, justice will arise, with abundance of peace, * until the moon is taken away.

71:8 And he will rule from sea to sea * and from the river to the limits of the whole world.

71:9 In his sight, the Ethiopians will fall prostrate, * and his enemies will lick the ground.

71:10 The kings of Tarshish and the islands will offer gifts. * The kings of Arabia and of Seba will bring gifts.

71:11 And all the kings of the earth shall adore him. * All nations will serve him.

71:12 For he will free the poor from the powerful, * and the poor one who has no helper.

71:13 He will spare the poor and the indigent, * and he will bring salvation to the souls of the poor.

71:14 He will redeem their souls from usuries and from iniquity, * and their names shall be honorable in his sight.

71:15 And he will live, and to him will be given from the gold of Arabia, and they will pray concerning him always. * They will bless him all day long.

71:16 And there will be a firmament on earth, at the summits of mountains: its fruits will be extolled above Lebanon, * and those of the city will flourish like the grass of the earth.

71:17 May his name be blessed forever; * may his name remain before the sun.

71:17 And all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in him. * All nations will magnify him.

71:18 Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, * who alone does wondrous things.

71:19 And blessed is the name of his majesty in eternity. * And all the earth will be filled with his majesty. Amen. Amen.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. In the days of the Lord an abundance of peace shall arise, and he shall have dominion.

Ant. Truth has sprung * from the earth, and justice has looked down from heaven.

Psalm 84 [6]

84:2 O Lord, you have blessed your land. * You have turned aside the captivity of Jacob.

84:3 You have released the iniquity of your people. * You have covered all their sins.

84:4 You have mitigated all your wrath. * You have turned aside from the wrath of your indignation.

84:5 Convert us, O God, our Savior, * and turn your anger away from us.

84:6 Will you be angry with us forever? * And will you extend your wrath from generation to generation?

84:7 O God, you will turn back and revive us. * And your people will rejoice in you.

84:8 O Lord, reveal to us your mercy, * and grant to us your salvation.

84:9 I will listen to what the Lord God may be saying to me. * For he will speak peace to his people,

84:9 and to his saints, * and to those who are being converted to the heart.

84:10 So then, truly his salvation is near to those who fear him, * so that glory may inhabit our land.

84:11 Mercy and truth have met each other. * Justice and peace have kissed.

84:12 Truth has risen from the earth, * and justice has gazed down from heaven.

84:13 For so will the Lord give goodness, * and our earth will give her fruit.

84:14 Justice will walk before him, * and he will set his steps upon the way.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Truth has sprung from the earth, and justice has looked down from heaven.

℣ Beautiful in form beyond the sons of men.

℟ Grace is poured out upon your lips.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. May his loving kindness and mercy assist us, he who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May God the almighty Father be gracious and merciful to us.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 4

Sermon of Saint Leo, Pope

Sermon 1 on the Nativity of the Lord

Our Savior, dearly beloved, was born today; let us rejoice. For it is not fitting that there be any place for sadness where the Birthday of Life is celebrated: which, having consumed the fear of mortality, fills us with joy at the promised eternity. No one is excluded from sharing in this gladness. There is one common reason for joy for all: because our Lord, the destroyer of sin and death, as he found no one free from guilt, so he came to free all. Let the holy man exult, for he draws near to his crown; let the sinner be glad, for he is invited to pardon; let the Gentile take courage, for he is called to life. For the Son of God, in the fullness of time which the unsearchable depth of the divine counsel disposed, took to himself the nature of the human race to be reconciled to its Author, so that the devil, the inventor of death, might be conquered through the very nature he had conquered.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ O great mystery, and wondrous Sacrament, that animals should see the Lord newborn, lying in a manger:

* Blessed Virgin, whose womb merited to bear the Lord Christ.

℣ Hail, Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with you.

℟ Blessed Virgin, whose womb merited to bear the Lord Christ.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 5

In this conflict undertaken for us, the contest was waged with great and wonderful equity, since the almighty Lord joined battle with the most savage enemy not in his own majesty but in our humility: setting against him the same form and the same nature, sharing indeed our mortality, yet wholly without sin. For foreign to this nativity is what is read of all others: No one is clean from defilement, not even the infant whose life on earth is but a single day. Therefore nothing passed into this singular nativity from the lust of the flesh, nothing flowed from the law of sin. A royal Virgin of Davidic lineage was chosen, who, destined to be made fruitful with a sacred offspring, was first to conceive in her mind, before her body, a progeny both divine and human. And lest she, unaware of the heavenly plan, should be frightened by the unwonted address, she learned from the angelic conversation what was to be wrought in her by the Holy Spirit; and she did not reckon it a loss to her purity, since she was about to become the Mother of God.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Blessed Mary, Mother of God, whose womb remains intact:

* Today she brought forth the Savior of the world.

℣ Blessed is she who believed: for all things have been fulfilled that were spoken to her by the Lord.

℟ Today she brought forth the Savior of the world.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May God kindle the fire of his love in our hearts.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 6

Let us therefore give thanks, most beloved, to God the Father, through his Son in the Holy Spirit, who, for the great charity of his with which he loved us, took pity on us; and when we were dead in sins, he made us alive together with Christ, that we might be in him a new creature and a new fashioning. Let us therefore put off the old man with his deeds; and having obtained a share in the birth of Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh. Acknowledge, O Christian, your dignity; and having been made a sharer in the divine nature, do not return by a degenerate manner of life to the old baseness. Remember whose head and whose body you are a member of. Remember that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and translated into the light and kingdom of God.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Holy and undefiled virginity, with what praises I may extol you, I know not:

* For him whom the heavens could not contain, you bore in your womb.

℣ Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

℟ For him whom the heavens could not contain, you bore in your womb.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ For him whom the heavens could not contain, you bore in your womb.

Nocturn III

Ant. He shall call upon * me, alleluia: You are my Father, alleluia.

Psalm 88(2-37) [7]

88:2 I will sing the mercies of the Lord * in eternity.

88:2 From generation to generation, * I will announce your truth with my mouth.

88:3 For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. * Your truth will be prepared there.

88:4 I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant: * I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity.

88:5 And I will build up from generation to generation * your throne.

88:6 The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, * and also your truth, in the Church of the saints.

88:7 For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? * Who among the sons of God is like God?

88:8 God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. * He is great and terrible above all those who are around him.

88:9 O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? * You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you.

88:10 You rule over the power of the sea, * and you even mitigate the movement of its waves.

88:11 You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. * You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength.

88:12 Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness. * You created the north and the sea.

88:13 Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name. * Your arm acts with power.

88:14 Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted. * Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne.

88:15 Mercy and truth will precede your face. * Blessed is the people that knows jubilation.

88:16 They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord, and they will exult in your name all day long, * and they will be exalted in your justice.

88:18 For you are the glory of their strength, * and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted.

88:19 For our protection is of the Lord, * and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel.

88:20 Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: * I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people.

88:21 I have found my servant David. * I have anointed him with my holy oil.

88:22 For my hand will assist him, * and my arm will fortify him.

88:23 The enemy will have no advantage over him, * nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him.

88:24 And I will cut down his enemies before his face. * And those who hate him, I will turn to flight.

88:25 And my truth and my mercy will be with him. * And his horn will be exalted in my name.

88:26 And I will place his hand on the sea * and his right hand on the rivers.

88:27 He will invoke me: “You are my father, * my God, and the support of my salvation.”

88:28 And I will make him the first-born, * preeminent before the kings of the earth.

88:29 I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, * and my covenant for him faithfully.

88:30 And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, * and his throne like the days of heaven.

88:31 But if his sons abandon my law, * and if they do not walk in my judgments,

88:32 if they profane my justices, * and if they do not keep my commandments:

88:33 I will visit their iniquities with a rod, * and their sins with a beating.

88:34 But I will not scatter my mercy from him, * and I will not do harm to my truth.

88:35 And I will not profane my covenant, * and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips.

88:36 I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David, * his offspring will remain for eternity.

88:37 And his throne will be like the sun in my sight, * and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. He shall call upon me, alleluia: You are my Father, alleluia.

Ant. Let the heavens rejoice * and the earth exult before the face of the Lord, for he comes.

Psalm 95 [8]

95:1 Sing to the Lord a new song. * Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

95:2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name. * Announce his salvation from day to day.

95:3 Announce his glory among the Gentiles, * his miracles among all peoples.

95:4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. * He is terrible, beyond all gods.

95:5 For all the gods of the Gentiles are demons, * but the Lord made the heavens.

95:6 Confession and beauty are in his sight. * Sanctity and magnificence are in his sanctuary.

95:7 Bring to the Lord, you families of the nations, bring to the Lord glory and honor. * Bring to the Lord glory for his name.

95:8 Lift up sacrifices, and enter into his courts. * Adore the Lord in his holy court.

95:9 Let the entire earth be shaken before his face. * Say among the Gentiles: The Lord has reigned.

95:10 For he has even corrected the whole world, which will not be shaken. * He will judge the peoples with fairness.

95:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult; let the sea and all its fullness be moved. * The fields and all the things that are in them will be glad.

95:12 Then all the trees of the forest will rejoice before the face of the Lord: for he arrives. * For he arrives to judge the earth.

95:13 He will judge the whole world with fairness * and the peoples with his truth.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult before the face of the Lord, for he comes.

Ant. The Lord has made known * his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 97 [9]

97:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, * for he has performed wonders.

97:1 His right hand has accomplished salvation for him, * with his holy arm.

97:2 The Lord has made known his salvation. * He has revealed his justice in the sight of the nations.

97:3 He has remembered his mercy * and his truth toward the house of Israel.

97:3 All the ends of the earth have seen * the salvation of our God.

97:4 Sing joyfully to God, all the earth. * Sing and exult, and sing psalms.

97:5 Sing psalms to the Lord with stringed instruments, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, * with hammered trumpets and the sound of the horn.

97:6 Make a joyful noise before the Lord our king. * Let the sea be moved and all its fullness, the whole world and all who dwell in it.

97:8 The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will exult together, before the presence of the Lord. * For he comes to judge the earth.

97:9 He will judge the whole world with justice, * and the peoples with fairness.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ He shall call upon me, alleluia.

℟ You are my Father, alleluia.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. May the almighty and merciful Lord absolve us from the bonds of our sins.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the evangelical reading be our salvation and protection.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 7

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Luc 2:1-14

At that time: A decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Gregory the Pope

Homily 8 on the Gospels

Since, by the Lord's bounty, we are this day to celebrate the solemn rites of Mass three times, we cannot speak at length of the Gospel reading; yet the very Nativity of our Redeemer compels us to say something, if briefly. For what does it mean that the world is enrolled at the birth of the Lord, if not that it is plainly shown that he who would inscribe his chosen ones in eternity was appearing in the flesh? Against this, it is said of the reprobate through the prophet: Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the just. He is fittingly born also in Bethlehem; for Bethlehem means house of bread. He himself is the one who said: I am the living bread who came down from heaven. The place, therefore, where the Lord is born was called house of bread before his coming, because it was surely to be that he who would refresh the minds of the chosen with inward satisfaction would appear there in the matter of flesh. He is born not in his parents' home, but on the road, to show plainly that through his humanity, which he had assumed, he was, as it were, born in a stranger's dwelling.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the eternal Father: and blessed are the breasts that nursed Christ the Lord:

* Who today was pleased to be born of a Virgin for the salvation of the world.

℣ A sanctified day has dawned upon us: come, O nations, and adore the Lord.

℟ Who today was pleased to be born of a Virgin for the salvation of the world.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. Through the words of the Gospel may our offenses be blotted out.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 8

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Luc 2:15-20

At that time: The shepherds said to one another: Let us cross over to Bethlehem and see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord has revealed to us. And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Ambrose, Bishop

Book 2 on Luke, chapter 2, around the middle

See the beginnings of the rising Church: Christ is born, and the shepherds began to keep watch — shepherds who were to gather the flocks of the nations, which had been living like cattle, into the fold of the Lord, lest they suffer the assaults of spiritual beasts through the darkness shed abroad in the night. And it is well that the shepherds keep watch, whom the Good Shepherd forms. The flock, then, is the people; night is the age; shepherds are priests. Or perhaps that person also is a shepherd to whom it is said: Be watchful, and confirm. For the Lord not only ordained bishops to guard his flock, but also sent Angels to guard it.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us:

* And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

℣ All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made.

℟ And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May Christ, the Son of God, teach us the words of the holy Gospel.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 9

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Ioannes 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Augustine, Bishop

Tractate 1 on John, around the middle

Lest you think something base, of the kind you were accustomed to imagine when you had been used to hearing human words, hear what you are to think: God was the Word. Let some faithless Arian now come forward and say that the Word of God was made. How can it be that the Word of God was made, when God made all things through the Word? If the Word of God was itself also made: through what other word was it made? If you say that this is the word of the Word, through which that Word was made, then I say that this other word is the only-begotten Son of God. But if you do not say the word of the Word, then grant that that through which all things were made was not itself made. For that through which all things were made could not itself have been made through itself. Believe the Evangelist, therefore.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

Te Deum

O God, we praise you; * O Lord, we acclaim you.

Eternal Father, * all the earth reveres you.

To you all the Angels, * the heavens and all the Powers of heaven:

To you the Cherubim and Seraphim * cry out in endless praise:

(A bow is made) Holy, Holy, Holy * Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are filled * with the majesty of your glory.

The glorious choir of Apostles * sings to you,

the noble company of Prophets * praises you,

the white-robed army of Martyrs * glorifies you.

Holy Church throughout the earth * proclaims you,

the Father * of boundless majesty;

your true and only Son, * worthy of adoration;

and the Holy Spirit, * the Paraclete.

You, O Christ, * are the King of glory.

You are * the Father's everlasting Son.

(A bow is made) When you resolved to save the human race, * you did not spurn the Virgin's womb.

You overcame the sting of death * and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to those who put their faith in you.

You are seated at the right hand of God * in the glory of the Father.

We believe you are the Judge * who is to come.

(The following verse is said kneeling) And so we beg you, help your servants, * redeemed by your most precious blood.

Number them * among your Saints in eternal glory.

Save your people, Lord, * and bless your inheritance.

Shepherd them * and raise them to eternal life.

Day by day * we bless you,

(A bow is made, according to custom) and we praise your name * for endless ages evermore.

Be gracious, Lord, on this day, * and keep us from all sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, * have mercy.

May your mercy be upon us, Lord, * as we place our trust in you.

In you, O Lord, I rest my hope: * let me never be put to shame.

The rest is omitted unless Lauds is said separately.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

Let us pray.

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the new birth of your Only Begotten Son in the flesh may set us free; whom an ancient bondage holds under the yoke of sin.

Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

℣ Let us bless the Lord.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℣ May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

℟ Amen.