Celebrant: In Christmas joy and hope, let us present all our needs to God with confidence. Deacon/Lector: For the Holy Church of God throughout the world, that as she celebrates the birth of Christ, she may grow in holiness, we pray to the Lord… For all those who do not yet believe in Christ, that they may know that today a Savior is born for them, we pray to the Lord… For peace in the world, that nations may resolve their conflicts by giving themselves over the Christ, the Prince of Peace, we pray to the Lord… For those who are alone or abandoned, for the oppressed and the hungry, the homeless, and the unborn, we pray to the Lord… For all the sick of our families and our parish, that they may join their sufferings to the sufferings of Christ, we pray to the Lord… For all those who have died, that by the power of Christ's birth on earth, they may be born in heaven, we pray to the Lord… Celebrant: Father, the birth of your Son renews our hope.
As you answer our prayers,
Give us grace always to bear witness to him
before the world,
For he is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
“Merry Christmas” Today, the greeting “Merry Christmas” is on our lips and in our hearts. What does this simple greeting mean? We know, of course, that for many people, things are not merry today, and that for all of us, there are certain things that cause us anxiety and sadness. There is evil in the world and in our lives. But “Merry Christmas” does not mean that we always feel happy, nor does it mean that everything is going our way. What it means instead is that even if everything else is falling apart, we always have access to God. Christ has come to lead us to the Father and bring us a new relationship with God and each other in the life that never ends. “Merry Christmas” means that even in the midst of sadness, we can never lose this gift. We simply need to take hold of it and be faithful. He is with us always, and that brings a peace and joy that the world can neither give nor take away. Merry Christmas!
Vigil: Is 62:1-5
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25 Midnight: Is 9:1-6
Ti 2:11-14
Lk 2:1-14 Dawn: Is 62:11-12
Ti 3:4-7
Lk 2:15-20 Day: Is 52:7-10
Heb 1:1-6
Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14 Watch a video with homily hints There was no room for them in the inn. This should make us wonder, because the birth of Christ was foreseen and planned by God from all eternity. Hundreds of years before it happened, the prophets announced he would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14) and that Bethlehem would be his birthplace (Micah 5:2). Many other details of his life and death were also foretold. How, then, could God have forgotten to make room for his only Son? Moreover, the child born at Christmas owns the inn, and Bethlehem, and the world, and the whole universe. Obviously, God did this on purpose. There was no room in the inn, because this demonstrates that the child comes as a Savior, to reconcile a world that is at enmity with God and has rejected him. The lack of room in the inn symbolizes the lack of room we make for him in our hearts. Today he does not seek an inn; he seeks room in our own hearts and lives. To welcome the Divine Child today is to welcome all that he will do and teach. We welcome the one who will preach the Sermon on the Mount, instruct us by parables, and establish his Church. In welcoming the baby in the manger, we welcome the Lord at the table giving the Eucharist, and we welcome the Lamb on the cross. We welcome all he welcomes, and are to make room for all he loves, especially the most unwanted, marginalized, burdensome, or inconvenient. If we welcome the baby Jesus, we welcome every baby and we welcome his teaching that every life is sacred, and we live accordingly.
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