Celebrant: As we celebrate the birth of Jesus we rejoice in the goodness of God.  With trust we present these needs to our Father in heaven.

Deacon/Lector:

That the Church may joyfully proclaim the birth of our Savior and transform the world through word and deed, we pray to the Lord…

That bishops, priests and deacons, who guide God’s people may be faithful heralds of the Good News of salvation, let us pray to the Lord…

That all those who are away from their loved ones today, may be filled with Christmas peace and joy, we pray to the Lord...

That Christ, born as our Savior, may save those yet unborn, we pray to the Lord...

That all families may welcome the Christ-child into their homes and experience His blessings and peace, we pray to the Lord…

That those who grieve for their departed loved ones may be consoled by the promise and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray to the Lord…

Celebrant:

Father, we praise you with joy for having sent your Son into the world. 
Give us grace to be faithful to the Gospel we profess. 
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

“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.