seeking God

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Sunday, 28 December 2014 : Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 104 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His Name; make known His works among the nations. Sing to Him, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds.

Glory in His holy Name; let those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and be strong; seek His face always.

Remember His wonderful works, His miracles and His judgments, you descendants of His servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

He remembers His covenant forever, His promise to a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, the promise He swore to Isaac.

 

Alternative reading (from Readings for Year A)

Psalm 127 : 1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are you who fear the Lord and walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your toil; you will be blessed and favoured.

Your wife, like a vine, will bear fruits in your home. Your children, like olive shoots will stand around your table.

Such are the blessings bestowed upon the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosperous all the days of your life.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/26/sunday-28-december-2014-feast-of-the-holy-family-of-jesus-mary-and-joseph-and-feast-of-the-holy-innocents-martyrs-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Double II Classis) – Sunday, 28 December 2014 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Red

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

Galatians 4 : 1-7

Fratres : Quanto tempore heres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium : sed sub tutoribus et actoribus est usque ad praefinitum tempus a patre : ita et nos, cum essemus parvuli, sub elementis mundi eramus servientes.

At ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum, factum ex muliere, factum sub lege, ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionem filiorum recipieremus. Quoniam autem estis filii, misit Deus Spiritum Filii sui in corda vestra, clamantem : Abba, Pater.

Itaque jam non est servus, sed filius quod si filius, et heres per Deum.

 

English translation

Brethren, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ from a servant, though he is lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father, so we also, when we were children, were serving under the elements of the world.

But when the fullness of time was come, God sent His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law : that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God had sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying : Abba, Father.

Therefore now he is not a servant, but a son, and if a son, an heir also through God.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/26/usus-antiquior-feast-of-the-holy-innocents-martyrs-double-ii-classis-sunday-28-december-2014-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Saturday, 27 December 2014 : Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Brothers and sisters in Christ, after yesterday we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, today we celebrate the feast of St. John the Evangelist, one of the four Evangelists, who wrote the Holy Gospels. He was the closest disciple to Christ, and also reputedly the youngest among them, the one to whom Christ entrusted His mother Mary to be under his care.

And St. John the Evangelist was special among the Apostles in a way that, he did not die from martyrdom of faith, but through a natural death of old age. Yet, before he met his death and pass from this world, he saw the final and complete fulfillment of God’s plan and promises as we can read in the Book of the Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John. This is the vision which John received regarding the coming of the end times.

St. John the Evangelist wrote his Gospel in a very different manner compared to the three other Gospels, as while the other three focuses more on the history and on the chronological actions of Christ, St. John in his Gospel is much deeper in terms of depth of the meaning of the words he had written, and this Gospel of St. John discusses more about the nature and the mission which Christ is undertaking in His salvation of the world, hidden behind the mysteries of the faith.

He has the gift of faith, readily believing and putting his trust in the Lord. As one of the very first disciples to be called by Jesus, he had followed the Lord on many occasions, and is among the most trusted by Jesus, along with St. Peter and St. James, his own brother. He witnessed the Transfiguration of the Lord, when Jesus was transformed right before his eyes and revealed the truth about His divinity.

All these serve to shape St. John the Evangelist as who he was and in how he wrote his Gospel, which serve to deepen the faith among the people of God, by revealing the great extent of the mysteries which surround the glory and majesty of the Lord made flesh in Jesus Christ. Through his works in the Gospels and through his letters and Epistles, he made clear to the faithful about who Christ is, and what He has been sent into this world for.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are now still in the midst of the Christmas season, which was just the day before yesterday. In Christmas we celebrate and honour our Lord Himself who has made Himself to assume the humble form of a Man, so that He may dwell among us, and by His works, He made manifest God’s love for us through the healing of the body and soul of many people. And ultimately, by His suffering and death on the cross, and by the offering of His own Body and Blood,

And that is exactly the focus of the Gospel of John, as it had been iterated very clearly in the first chapter of the Gospel, that the Word is God, He is with God, and He has been incarnate into flesh and born of the Virgin, that is Mary. It is this very nature of Christ which John is focusing on throughout his Gospel, and which we too should reflect as we live out our faith.

For God is Love, and He has loved us so much that He is willing to give Himself, a part of Himself, the Divine Logos or the Word, who created the universe, to save us from certain death and destruction. This is also the meaning of Christmas, that the Lord who has descended upon this world, to dwell among us His people, as one of us, and through His actions and works we are justified.

Although He is divine, but He is also Man at the same time, fully God and fully Man, and thus He was tempted as all of us were tempted, and He faced challenges just as we too face our challenges in life. And while Adam and all of us fell into the temptations and sinned, but Christ in His obedience and love for His Father became the exemplary Man, the new Adam, who became a beacon of true Light shining in the path of all mankind as an example to all.

Therefore, as we continue our celebration of this holy Christmas season, and as we honour St. John the Evangelist on his feast day, let us all deepen our faith in Christ, following the examples of faith of St. John the Evangelist, and also the obedience of Christ and the love He had shown to us, His beloved people. We cannot separate Christmas for this celebration of God’s love, for without Christ, our Christmas is meaningless.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, may our faith in the Lord be strengthened, and may all of us come to greater realisation of the love which our Lord has for us, so that we may appreciate His love and therefore come to also show this love to our fellow brethren. That is the true essence of Christmas, brothers and sisters in Christ. St. John had shown us that Christ is the manifestation of God’s love, and just as He had shared His love with us, we too should share this love with one another.

May our Christmas celebrations and joys be truly enriching and meaningful, that everyone may share in the Joy that Christ had brought us, our Lord and God who loved us so much that He was willing to come to us and even lay down His life to liberate us from eternal death. May God bless us all. Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/saturday-27-december-2014-feast-of-st-john-apostle-and-evangelist-first-reading/

 

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/saturday-27-december-2014-feast-of-st-john-apostle-and-evangelist-psalm/

 

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/saturday-27-december-2014-feast-of-st-john-apostle-and-evangelist-gospel-reading/

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Saturday, 27 December 2014 : Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 2-8

At that time, Mary of Magdala ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter.

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb; he, too, saw the linen cloths lying flat. The napkin, which had been around His head, was not lying flat like the other linen cloths, but lay rolled up in its place. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/saturday-27-december-2014-feast-of-st-john-apostle-and-evangelist-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Friday, 26 December 2014 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, the day after Christmas, is the feast of the protomartyr of the Faith, that is the first of those who have died for their Faith in God. He is St. Stephen, one of the seven deacons appointed to serve the people of God, sharing and giving the nourishment, and in charge of the Church’s charitable acts and works.

One might be wondering, why after the joy of Christmas, then we immediately go on to celebrate a tragedy, that is the death of a faithful and holy servant of God. But truthfully, if we have understood what Christmas is truly about, then this would not surprise us at all, and indeed, it would have fit perfectly into the order of things. Christmas joy and happiness is not about the glamour, the parties, the revelries and the things we do to make things look great, but it is truly about the Joy we have, for our God has given the perfect manifestation of His love for us and His faithfulness through Jesus.

Did Jesus come into the world to affirm His people and praise them? No, in fact, He did not mince His words, and His words are true, and filled with criticisms at those who have misinterpreted the Law, and worse still for those who even misled the faithful with their sinful ways. As such, as we all should know, Jesus did not have an easy time, and oppositions always came His way, particularly from the Pharisees and the chief priests who viewed Him as a rival to their power, influence and authority.

This is exactly what Jesus mentioned in the Gospel today. He mentioned how those who believed in Him will also suffer just as He had suffered. The world had rejected Him, and all those who placed their trust in the world also rejected Him. Then, the same too would also happen to all those who walk in the way of Christ. The world will also reject them and attempt to eliminate them, just as they had tried to eliminate Christ.

It is to say and highlight that following Christ is not an easy path, and it is certainly not for those who seek to be complacent and desire acceptance by the world. As St. Stephen had shown us, as well as many other martyrs of the Faith that followed in his footsteps, being faithful to God and obedient to His will is a tough one, and often life is placed on the line, and many lost their lives refusing to abandon their Faith in God.

Christ came into our world, incarnate as the Baby Jesus that we celebrate as Christmas, but many would not want to listen to Him and what He had come to tell them, because they were misled, they were deep in the lies of Satan and they embraced to much of worldliness that prevented them from realising the truth about themselves.

That is why when Christ came into the world and bring the truth to them, many found it difficult to accept what He had told them. The Pharisees and the elders of the people refused to listen to St. Stephen as well. St. Stephen spoke at length, telling them all about God and His wondrous works throughout the ages, and he highlighted how the stubbornness of the people of God prevented them from receiving the grace of God and understanding His will.

They closed their ears and covered them, while shouting and lusting for the death of St. Stephen. They tortured him and stoned him to death. This is a clear example of how mankind often refuses to listen to the truth and instead prefer to be buoyed and bought over by the lies of the devil. We are often distracted from the truth, and when the truth comes our way, we come up with a thousand excuses and more to deny that truth.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, many of us live in denial, and we do not recognise our sinfulness before God. We tend to shut God out of our lives, and that is why many of us do not recognise the true value and meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about the coming of the Saviour, whose truth and love would dispel all falsehoods and lies, and we have to face the truth no matter how horrible and ugly the truth is.

Therefore, as we continue to rejoice in the joy of this Christmas season, let us also heed the examples of St. Stephen and the other holy martyrs, who had given up their lives for the Lord, in defense of their faith. They did not hide the truth, but reveal the entirety of the truth they have received from Christ. Therefore, we as the disciples and followers of Christ must also not mince our words, and we must not compromise on the Faith.

Let us preach the Good News of the Lord and the fullness of faith with complete trust and confidence in God’s providence. Practice the Faith through our words, actions and deeds, just like St. Stephen, who did not become angry or hateful to those who have condemned him to death, but instead like Christ, he forgave them and begged that their sins may not be counted against them.

Thus, foremost in our concerns should be the propagation of the unadulterated and unchanged Faith in all its fullness. We cannot be witness to half faiths, or else we witness for nothing. Instead, let us persevere, even against the opposition of the world, to be the bringer of the Joy of Christmas into the world. May Christ be with us all, His peoples and disciples, give us strength and renew our courage and resolve to live our faith with full effort and sincerity. God bless us all. Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/friday-26-december-2014-feast-of-st-stephen-protomartyr-of-the-church-first-reading/

 

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/friday-26-december-2014-feast-of-st-stephen-protomartyr-of-the-church-psalm/

 

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/25/friday-26-december-2014-feast-of-st-stephen-protomartyr-of-the-church-gospel-reading/

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Thursday, 25 December 2014 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Mass (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Reading for the Midnight Mass

Titus 2 : 11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, teaching us to reject an irreligious way of life and worldly greed, and to live in this world as responsible persons, upright and serving God, while we await our blessed hope – the glorious manifestation of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus.

He gave Himself for us, to redeem us from every evil and to purify a people He wanted to be His own and dedicated to what is good.

 

Reading for the Mass at Dawn

Titus 3 : 4-7

But God our Saviour revealed His eminent goodness and love for humankind and saved us, not because of good deeds we may have done but for the sake of His own mercy, to the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit poured over us through Christ Jesus our Saviour, so that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.

 

Reading for the Mass at Day

Hebrews 1 : 1-6

God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times He has spoken definitively to us through His Son. He is the One God appointed Heir of all things, since through Him He unfolded the stages of the world.

He is the Radiance of God’s Glory and bears the stamp of God’s hidden Being, so that His powerful Word upholds the universe. And after taking away sin, He took His place at the right hand of the Divine Majesty in heaven.

So He is now far superior to angels just as the Name He received sets Him apart from them. To what angel did God say : ‘You are My Son, I have begotten You today?’ And to what angel did He promise : ‘I shall be a Father to Him and He will be a Son to Me?’

On sending His Firstborn to the world, God says : ‘Let all the angels adore Him.’

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/23/thursday-25-december-2014-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-christmas-mass-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Thursday, 25 December 2014 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Mass (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Reading for the Midnight Mass

Psalm 95 : 1-2a, 2b-3, 11-12, 13

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His Name.

Proclaim His salvation day after day. Recall His glory among the nations, tell all the peoples His wonderful deeds.

Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound; let the fields exult and everything in them; let the forest, all the trees, sing for joy.

Let them sing before the Lord who comes to judge the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

 

Reading for the Mass at Dawn

Psalm 96 : 1 and 6, 11-12

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory.

He sheds light upon the upright, and gladness upon the just. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are blameless, and give praise to His Holy Name.

 

Reading for the Mass at Day

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The Lord has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord!

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/23/thursday-25-december-2014-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-christmas-mass-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Thursday, 25 December 2014 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Mass (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Reading for the Midnight Mass

Isaiah 9 : 1-7

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; You have increased their joy. They rejoice before You, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.

For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, You have broken it as on the day of Midian. Every warrior’s boot that trampled in war, every cloak rolled in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the fire.

For a Child is born to us, a Son is given us; the royal ornament is laid upon His shoulder, and His Name is proclaimed : Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. To the increase of His powerful rule in peace, there will be no end. Vast will be His dominion.

He will reign on David’s throne and over all his kingdom, to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forever. The zealous love of YHVH Sabaoth will do this. The Lord has sent a word against Jacob : the sentence fell upon Israel.

 

Reading for the Mass at Dawn

Isaiah 62 : 11-12

For YHVH proclaims to the ends of the earth : “Say to the daughter of Zion, here comes your Salvation! YHVH brings the reward of His victory, His booty is carried before Him.”

“They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of YHVH; and you shall be called The Sought After, a city no longer abandoned.”

 

Reading for the Mass at Day

Isaiah 52 : 7-10

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who herald peace and happiness, who proclaim salvation and announce to Zion : “Your God is King!”

Together your watchmen raise their voices in praise and song; they see YHVH face to face returning to Zion. Break into shouts of joy, o ruins of Jerusalem, for YHVH consoles His people and redeems Jerusalem.

YHVH has bared His holy arm in the eyes of the nations; all the ends of the earth, in alarm, will witness God’s salvation.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/23/thursday-25-december-2014-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-christmas-mass-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, Christmas Day (I Classis) – Thursday, 25 December 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : White

Offertory

Offertory for the Christmas Midnight Mass

Psalm 95 : 11, 13

Laetentur caeli et exsultet terra ante faciem Domini : quoniam venit.

English translation

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad before the face of the Lord, because He came.

Offertory for the Christmas Mass at Dawn

Psalm 92 : 1-2

Deus firmavit orbem terrae, qui non commovebitur : parata sedes Tua, Deus, ex tunc, a saeculo Tu es.

English translation

God had established the world, which shall not be moved. Your throne, o God, is prepared from of old. You are from everlasting.

Offertory for the Christmas Daytime Mass

Psalm 88 : 12, 15

Tui sunt caeli et Tua est terra : orbem terrarum et plenitudinem ejus Tu fundasti : justitia et judicium praeparatio sedis Tuae.

English translation

Yours are the heavens, and Yours is the earth, the world and the fullness thereof You had founded. Justice and judgment are the preparation of Your throne.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Secret for the Christmas Midnight Mass

Accepta tibi sit, Domine, quaesumus, hodiernae festivitatis oblatio : ut, Tua gratia largiente, per haec sacrosancta commercia, in illus inveniamur forma, in quo Tecum est nostra substantia : Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May the oblation of this day’s festivity, we pray to You, o Lord, find acceptance with You, that by the bounty of Your grace, we may, through this sacred intercourse, be found to be made like unto He in whom our substance is united with You. Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Secret for the Christmas Mass at Dawn

Munera nostra, quaesumus, Domine, Nativitatis hodiernae mysteriis apta proveniant, et pacem nobis semper infundant : ut, sicut homo genitus idem refulsit et Deus, sic nobis haec terrena substantia conferat, quod divinum est. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

English translation

May our gifts, we pray to You, o Lord, come forth agreeable to the mysteries of this day’s nativity, and may they shower upon us peace, that as He who was begotten as Man shone forth also as God, so may this earthly substance bring us that which is divine. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Secret for the Christmas Daytime Mass

Oblata, Domine, munera, nova Unigeniti Tui Nativitate sanctifica : nosque a peccatorum nostrorum maculis emunda. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

English translation

Sanctify our oblations, o Lord, by the new birth of Your only Begotten Son, and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preface of the Nativity

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, Sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : Quia per incarnati Verbi mysterium nova mentis nostrae oculis lux Tuae claritatis infulsit : ut, dum visibiliter Deum cognoscimus, per hunc in invisibilium amorem rapiamur. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae Tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes :

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places give thanks to You, o Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, because by the mystery of the Word made flesh, from Your brightness a new Light had risen to shine on the eyes of our souls, in order that, God becoming visible to us, we may be borne upward to the love of things invisible. And therefore with the Angels and Archangels, with the Dominions and Powers, with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing of Your glory without end saying :

Communion

Communion for the Christmas Midnight Mass

Psalm 109 : 3

In splendoribus Sanctorum, ex utero ante luciferum genui Te.

English translation

In the brightness of the saints, from the womb before the day-star I begot You.

Communion for the Christmas Mass at Dawn

Zechariah 9 : 9

Exsulta, filia Sion, lauda, filia Jerusalem : ecce, Rex tuus venit sanctus et Salvator mundi.

English translation

Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion, shout for help, o daughter of Jerusalem. Behold your King comes, holy, the Saviour of the world.

Communion for the Christmas Daytime Mass

Psalm 97 : 3

Viderunt omnes fines terrae salutare Dei nostri

English translation

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Post-Communion Prayer

Post-Communion for the Christmas Midnight Mass

Da nobis, quaesumus, Domine, Deus noster : ut, qui Nativitatem Domini nostri Jesu Christi mysteriis nos frequentare gaudemus; dignis conversationibus ad ejus mereamur pervenire consortium : Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Grant, we beseech You, o Lord our God, that we, who rejoice to celebrate with these mysteries the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, may deserve by worthy living to attain His companionship. Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Post-Communion for the Christmas Mass at Dawn

Hujus nos, Domine, sacramenti semper novitas natalis instauret : cujus Nativitas singularis humanam reppulit vetustatem. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

English translation

May the Christmas renewal of this sacrament ever restore us, o Lord, whose miraculous birth did put away the ancient things of mankind. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Post-Communion for the Christmas Daytime Mass

Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus : ut natus hodie Salvator mundi, sicut divinar nobis generationis est auctor; ita et immortalitatis sit ipsae largitor : Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Grant, we beseech You, o Almighty God, that, as the Saviour of the world, born this day, is unto us the author of divine generation, so that He may also be the bestower of immortality. Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, Christmas Day (I Classis) – Thursday, 25 December 2014 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Gradual and Alleluia for the Christmas Midnight Mass

Psalm 109 : 3, 1 and Psalm 2 : 7

Tecum principium in die virtutis Tuae : in splendoribus Sanctorum, ex utero ante luciferum genui Te.

Response : Dixit Dominus Domino meo : Sede a dextris Meis : donec ponam inimicos Tuos, scabellum pedum Tuorum.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Dominus dixit ad me : Filius Meus es Tu, ergo hodie genui Te. Alleluja.

English translation

With You is the principality in the day of Your strength in the brightness of the saints, from the womb before the day-star I begot You.

Response : The Lord said to my Lord : Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies as Your footstool.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : The Lord had said to Me, “You are My Son, this day I have begotten You.” Alleluia.

Gradual and Alleluia for the Christmas Mass at Dawn

Psalm 117 : 26-27, 23 and Psalm 92 : 1

Benedictus, qui venit in Nomine Domini : Deus Dominus, et illuxit nobis.

Response : A Domino factum est istud : et est mirabile in oculis nostris.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Dominus regnavit, decorem induit : induit Dominus fortitudinem, et praecinxit se virtute. Alleluja.

English translation

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, the Lord is God and He had shone upon us.

Response : This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : The Lord had reigned, He is clothed with beauty. The Lord is clothed with strength, and He had girded Himself with power. Alleluia.

Gradual and Alleluia for the Christmas Daytime Mass

Psalm 97 : 3, 2 and Tradition of the Faith

Viderunt omnes fines terrae salutare Dei nostri : jubilate Deo, omnis terra.

Response : Notum fecit Dominus salutare suum : ante conspectum gentium revelavit justitiam suam.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis : venite, gentes, et adorate Dominum quia hodie descendit lux magna super terram. Alleluja.

English translation

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Sing joyfully to God all the earth.

Response : The Lord had made known His salvation, He had revealed His justice in the sight of the Gentiles.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : A hallowed day had dawned for us. Come all you Gentiles and adore the Lord. For this day a great light had descended upon the earth. Alleluia.