Introduction

The season of Advent is past; our period of anticipation is complete. The solemnity of the Lord’s birth celebrates the mystery of the incarnation by which the Word of God humbled himself to share our humanity, in order that he might enable us to become sharers in his divinity.

The Midnight Mass 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 and after being intoned is celebrated with fanfare and bells, joyfully recalling the first singing of the Angelic anthem to the shepherds.

Why celebrate at midnight? It corresponds with the traditional belief that Christ was born at midnight, and serves as an outlet for our natural enthusiasm, which often moves us to celebrate a joyous event at the earliest possible minute. Secondly, from the material darkness around us in the middle of the night, we are reminded of the spiritual darkness in the world which only Christ the Light can dispel. Continue reading “Dec 25, 2022: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Midnight | ABC)” →