Liturgy Alive

The liturgical calendar of the year

CHRISTMAS DAY

Description

Friday December 25 

CHRISTMAS DAY

1. Flesh from Our Flesh

2. A Recognizable God

3. The Face of God

 

 Introduction

Both the playing of the organ and the lighting of the church remain subdued during the processional entrance of the minister. One of the ministers goes to the lectern for announcing the Christmas proclamation. There is full lighting after the Proclamation.

  1. Flesh from Our Flesh

Christmas Proclamation

Two thousand years ago, in the immense and powerful Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken. Somewhere in the border region of Palestine, a young, humble couple, Mary and Joseph, set out from the insignificant town of Nazareth and traveled to the town of Bethlehem in Judaea. There was no room for them in the inn, and so Mary gave birth to a son and had to put him in a manger. An angel said to poor shepherds: “That child lying in the manger is the Savior born to you and to the world: He is Christ the Lord.” This same news is proclaimed to us: Your Savior is born to you. You are happy and you smile. But now you must proclaim in word and deed that Jesus is your Savior and Lord. Let your mercy and love proclaim him. Let your sense of justice and fairness proclaim him. Let your love and unity proclaim him. Let your concern for the poor and your welcome to the weak proclaim him. Then we can really sing with one voice tonight: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to the people he loves.”

Greeting

The Lord is here with you.

R/ And also with you.

 

Introduction

Yes, we are assured tonight that the Lord is really with us: He smiles on us through a little child lying new-born in a manger. God has come to us in his humble way. The star of his coming has come to rest on this church, on this community. Are we humble and little enough to accept him the way he comes to us?

Because of the Christmas proclamation, the Penitential Act could perhaps be omitted. For those who prefer to keep it:

Penitential Act

We have lost our freshness and grown tired

because of our sins and failures.

Let us tell the Lord that we are sorry

and acclaim his coming among us.

(PAUSE)

People living in darkness,

here comes your light.

Let it enlighten and save you:

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

People wounded and burdened,

here comes your Savior.

Let him heal you.

Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

People who keep hoping,

here comes God as a child

to make you adults in faith and love.

Let him bring you peace.

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Lord, let the peace of your pardon

come over us and over our world.

Lead us to the joy of a new world

and of everlasting life. R/ Amen

  1. A Recognizable God

Christmas Proclamation

In the beginning God created the world.

God created the human person as a partner.

He guided this person all throughout his history.

God calls Abraham and Abraham gives up his idols.

He becomes a pilgrim.

God calls Moses and humanity gives up its chains.

The human person too becomes a liberator.

Gad calls David and humanity gives up its wanderings.

The human person becomes someone who hopes.

God calls the prophets

and people begin to give up sin.

The human person becomes God’s voice.

God calls up witnesses who believe in him

and people give up their security.

The human person becomes a martyr.

God calls a man named John:

John leaves everything and goes to the desert.

There God waits for him to speak to him.

And God gives his Son, born of Mary.

And to our great joy, everything begins anew.

Greeting

The Lord be with you.

R/ And also with you.

 

Introduction

Tonight the world is reminded how God became flesh from our flesh and blood from our blood. He joined us in our human poverty as he was born from the Virgin Mary in a stable by the roadside. There people could see how God had eyes to smile at us, ears to hear our cries and stammering, arms to extend to us and embrace us, a heart to beat for us and to love us, a mouth to speak to us words of endearment and truth, a life to live for us and to give up for us. Has his coming changed us and brought us close to him? 

Penitential Act

Jesus came among us as our Savior,

to liberate us from our sins.

Have we become better because of him?

Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.

(PAUSE)

Lord Jesus, you came to bring us peace.

Let it also be the peace of your forgiveness.

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, you came to bring us light.

Let it brighten all we do:

Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you came to bring us life:

Let our lives reflect the goodness of yours:

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Deliver us, Lord, from the sadness of sin

and fill us with the joy of your life and love.

Lead us to the happiness of everlasting life. R/ Amen.

  1. The Face of God

Christmas proclamation for the Midnight Mass

It is night, but the night that promises the dawn

and the light that drives away all darkness.

This night promises the end of the darkness

of sin and evil and death.

It is the night of peace,

for a child is born to us:

he is the prince of peace,

a child, but our mighty God.

If we let him live among us, we live in peace.

It is the night of joy.

Do away with all sadness,

for God is now with us, among us, in us:

Share your joy, make others happy,

for God’s Son brings us life and happiness.

It is the night of giving birth:

Mary gives us Jesus, her Son, God’s Son,

and from now on we can all give birth

to love and forgiveness among us.

With Jesus we can open our eyes and ears

to the needs of anyone who suffers.

It is the night of friendship,

for God makes us not only his friends

but his sons and daughters

and brothers and sisters of Jesus.

We belong together,

we are of the same flesh and blood.

Come, let’s rejoice together

and walk together in love,

for Christ is born to us.

Greeting

A holy and joyful Christmas to all of you!

Christ is born to us,

he lives in us.

May he always be with you. R/ And also with you. 

 

Introduction

When God wanted to show himself as he is in a way we could understand, he became human, one of us, appearing with the face of a child. He showed himself in all our fragility, as if saying: Do you see now that I am near to you, that I am with you not to overpower you but with the face of peace and love and trust? Let us welcome with joy the Lord who comes to live among us and to join us on the journey of life. Now we can become more like God. 

Penitential Act

Certain that Jesus brings us forgiveness and life,

we acclaim him as our Savior

(PAUSE)

Lord Jesus, with the angels we say:

Glory to God and peace to God’s people!

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, with the shepherds

we come to you and love you:

Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, with Mary and Joseph

we receive you with great joy:

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Forgive us all our sins, Lord,

and let us live in your peace and joy.

Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen. 

 

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to our loving God

for giving us Jesus

(PAUSE)

Glory to you, God in the highest,

for bringing peace on earth to your people

and for letting your Son Jesus smile on us

from the arms of Mary, his mother.

Let him be our hope and our joy,

our forgiveness and our life.

Create us anew in the image of Jesus,

for then we become more like him,

you may recognize us in him

and our love can become deep and faithful.

Help us to give him to the world,

that all may become fresh and new again

through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Reading 1 Is 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”

Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the LORD restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

(3c) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. 

Reading 2 Heb 1:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe,
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you?
Or again:
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me?
And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says:
Let all the angels of God worship him. 

Alleluia 

Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
For today a great light has come upon the earth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him. 

Or Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.

 

Commentary


An Invitation to Join the Babe in the Manger
Wish you all joys and blessings of Christmas. Wish you good health, lots of happiness and God’s blessings in abundance in this Christmas!
Christmas is actually a celebration that reminds us of the fact that Christ has been born, Christ lives, and Christ is present now in our lives. Through the lives of the people in the Nativity narrative, Christmas reminds us, of the importance of helping to bring the presence of Christ to the world around us. Christmas calls our attention to be attentive to the occasions when the Lord comes to us in the least expected people, and in unexpected places and situations. We are asked to welcome Christ by recognizing Him in the people around us.

The Lord finds a space for himself in the manger – identifying himself with the poor and the outcasts. Manger is the utensil used for feeding the cattle. What is kept in the manger is the fodder for the cattle. God became man and found a place in the manger to become food for the people. The Christmas crib invites us to focus on the manger. The Holy infant in the manger invites us to join him in the manger. Do we dare to join him? Or we are happier to leave him there and return to the cosiness of our luxuries? If you ever plan to join him in the manger, be mindful of the following:

There isn't room in the manger for all the baggage we carry around with us. There's no room for our pride and self-righteousness. There’s no room for our human power and prestige. There's no room for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin. There's no room for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride. There's no room for bitterness and greed. There is no room in the manger for anything other than the reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which would be found in abundance in the presence of Jesus, in the company of Blessed Mother and St. Joseph.

 

Intercessions

Joy is to be shared. Let us pray to Jesus our Lord that the Good News of his coming may warm the hearts of all, and let us say:

R/ Lord, stay with your people.

–   That today may be a feast of joy for all our families and for all to whom we bring a bit of happiness this day, let us pray:

 R/ Lord, stay with your people.

–    That today may be a feast of joy for all children far and near, to those who are happy and to those who hunger and suffer, let us pray:

R/ Lord, stay with your people.

–    That today may be a feast of faith for those who know the Lord and for those who do not yet know him, let us pray:

R/ Lord, stay with your people.

–    That today may again become a feast of peace for those divided by quarrels, for countries divided by war, let us pray:

R/ Lord, stay with your people.

–    That today may be a feast of joy for all our Christian communities and that we may share that joy as we go together the Lord’s way of peace, let us pray:

R/ Lord, stay with your people.

Lord Jesus, you are one of us. Help us to become more like you, that we may become your joy, as you are ours now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer Over the Gifts

Father,

with bread and wine we celebrate

the family feast of your Son.

He is one of us, and we are happy.

Let our joy be shared by all,

that people from all races and nations

may come and share his table.

Let there be no end to our feast

and no limit to our love and generosity,

for now there lives among us your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen. 

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let our joy for the coming of God’s Son flow into a prayer of thanksgiving to our generous Father in heaven.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

God has indeed become our Father through Jesus, who made himself our brother. With him we say with the fullest trust: R/ Our Father…

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ,

your birth was the beginning

of a new peace for all the people you love.

May this Christmas sing of the glory of God

by leading us to walk hand in hand

and to share your tenderness.

Be our God with us that there may be peace,

now and for ever. R/ Amen.

May the peace of the Lord be always with you R/ And also with you.

Let us generously share the peace of the Lord

with one another. 

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,

God’s Son and our brother,

our God-with-us.

He is our living bread come down from heaven.

Happy are we to receive him

as our joy and peace. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…

Prayer after Communion

Father,

what more can we say tonight

than “Thank you, thank you again”

for coming to us in a way

we do not even dare to expect.

Do not allow us to get so accustomed

to the presence of your Son among us

that we forget that he is here

and that we fail to recognize him

in the heart of our lives

and in the faces of our brothers and sisters.

Let his justice rule our earth

and his peace and love be alive in us,

for he is our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen. 

Blessing

Our hearts can sing tonight with joy

of God’s love for us, his people.

With Mary we can sing her song of thanksgiving:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has done great things for us.”

Yes, we remember on Christmas

that his Son Jesus has become one of us.

He is here as our companion in life.

He lifts up the wounded,

and he shows us in himself

that God loves us very deeply

and will never abandon us.

With joy we receive the blessing of almighty God,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in peace and again, a holy, happy Christmas to all of you. R/ Thanks be to God.

 

BibleClaret

Hong Kong

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