Introduction

The Advent season is closed, our anticipation is complete!

Today we celebrate the profound mystery of the Incarnation, wherein the Word of God humbled himself to embrace our humanity so that we might be enabled to share in his divinity.

Our Christmas celebration is marked by a series of four distinct liturgies that progress from anticipation to revelation, mirroring the unfolding of the Christmas story itself:

• The Christmas Vigil Mass serves as a precursor to the Midnight Mass. It is characterized by a sense of joyful anticipation, reflecting on the Old Testament prophecies foretelling the birth of the Messiah.
• The Midnight Mass marks a seamless transition from anticipation to jubilation as the Church proclaims the arrival of the Christ Child. It is often called the “Mass of the Angels,” for the heavenly multitude that appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of the Savior. Before the Mass, the Proclamation is sung, announcing the impending Incarnation and setting it in the context of history. The Gloria is also sung for the first time since the beginning of Advent, with fanfare and bells, joyfully recalling the first singing of that angelic anthem to the shepherds.
• The Mass at Dawn, commonly referred to as “The Shepherds’ Mass,” offers a unique perspective on the Christmas narrative, focusing on the initiative of God’s gift and the shepherds who were its first witnesses. Just as the shepherds went eagerly to the crib to adore the Lord and to receive his great gift of light, so we also go to the altar where the same Lord comes just as truly to us. The theme of light is prominent in this Mass, correlating with the natural light that is increasing during the celebration at dawn.
• The Mass during the Day further unfolds the theological significance of Christ’s birth, emphasizing themes of light, salvation, and the manifestation of God’s love. The gospel reading for this Mass is the famous prologue of the Gospel of John, which calls us to meditate on the identity of Christ and on our own new way of life in the Word made flesh.

Continue reading “Dec 25, 2023: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Dawn | ABC)” →