Christmas Morning Mass First Reading: Isaiah 52: 7 - 10
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8 Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Psalms 98: 1 - 6
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Christmas Morning Mass Second Reading: Hebrews 1: 1 - 6
1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"?
6 And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
Christmas Morning Mass Gospel Reading: John 1: 1 - 18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God;
3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
Sermon,Preaching,Homily on Christmas Midnight Mass - Sr.Francine
The beginning of the Gospel of St. John, we just read, is, so to speak, a translation of theological narrative of the Nativity as found in Luke. Like Luke said they were very few, those who recognized in the child of the manger, the son of God (there were the shepherds), since the birth of this child went completely unnoticed to the people of Bethlehem, now that John translates it in theological terms. He says this amazing thing: "He came unto His own and His own did not receive" However, he adds, there are some who have been recognized, and these children have become of God.
It reflects a spiritual experience. Experience began with the shepherds. To them the angel addresses to tell them: "Go, you'll find in Bethlehem a child lying in a manger." The Gospel tells us absolutely not what was done by the shepherds to the child and his mother. The Gospel tells us that they have told Mary and Joseph they had seen and heard angels ... and they came to see. But what is known about these mufflers is that they will leave to shout across the good news of a God at hand, a God made manifest, a God who loves them.
Apparently nothing has changed in their lives. Simply, there were deep in their heart as a certainty they did not have before: the certainty that now, God intervened in their lives and that this revolution, imperceptible at first, was to change something. And already in them. In the depth of their being, they received that assurance, and they heard a call.
A certainty. That expressed by the Apostle John in his Gospel: "To all who received him, he has the opportunity to become children of God." To become divine, to emerge finally from the animal. Indeed, you know, mankind has struggled to emerge from the jungle and fight for life. We get the certainty that it's beautiful, it's great to be a man ... and much more a man. For we are called to become divine. Yes, the poor shepherds of Bethlehem did not express this as I now express, but they have had this awareness: that man goes far beyond the man, because God, not only wanted to establish his dwelling among men, but has become one of us. In the child of the manger, for some, that day, there was the birth of a certainty: God became man so that man might become God. This certainty will give them another insurance company in existence. They leave to say all the "goodness gracious" manifested in the person of the God-made-man.
So sure, but also appeal. Call can not be heard in silence. Call them, the shepherds, were predisposed to hear, because a shepherd, it passes his days and nights with animals, it does not so much the opportunity to speak, so this is a man of solitude and silence. The shepherds, hear the inner voice. If we want if we are able to stop, to sit down, to cut off the TV and radio, to find some solitude. The inner voice calls us constantly, first look at what we are because we have to judge, we assess, criticize us to change many things in us. The inner voice calls us to remove ourselves from all the remains of animal. I was talking about "law of the jungle." We know: maybe tomorrow, maybe in two weeks, there will be war. We can not do may not be much, but, in fact, the war, it already exists, and we are committed: economic warfare, struggle for life, and every man for himself. Each of us today the inner voice repeats emphatically: "If you welcome into your life the" prince of peace ", you will become children of God." He calls us to "emerge" and the emergence of humanity. I wish you a happy birth to the new world. I wish you a Merry Christmas. - Sr.Francine
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8 Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Psalms 98: 1 - 6
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Christmas Morning Mass Second Reading: Hebrews 1: 1 - 6
1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"?
6 And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
Christmas Morning Mass Gospel Reading: John 1: 1 - 18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God;
3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
Sermon,Preaching,Homily on Christmas Midnight Mass - Sr.Francine
The beginning of the Gospel of St. John, we just read, is, so to speak, a translation of theological narrative of the Nativity as found in Luke. Like Luke said they were very few, those who recognized in the child of the manger, the son of God (there were the shepherds), since the birth of this child went completely unnoticed to the people of Bethlehem, now that John translates it in theological terms. He says this amazing thing: "He came unto His own and His own did not receive" However, he adds, there are some who have been recognized, and these children have become of God.
It reflects a spiritual experience. Experience began with the shepherds. To them the angel addresses to tell them: "Go, you'll find in Bethlehem a child lying in a manger." The Gospel tells us absolutely not what was done by the shepherds to the child and his mother. The Gospel tells us that they have told Mary and Joseph they had seen and heard angels ... and they came to see. But what is known about these mufflers is that they will leave to shout across the good news of a God at hand, a God made manifest, a God who loves them.
Apparently nothing has changed in their lives. Simply, there were deep in their heart as a certainty they did not have before: the certainty that now, God intervened in their lives and that this revolution, imperceptible at first, was to change something. And already in them. In the depth of their being, they received that assurance, and they heard a call.
A certainty. That expressed by the Apostle John in his Gospel: "To all who received him, he has the opportunity to become children of God." To become divine, to emerge finally from the animal. Indeed, you know, mankind has struggled to emerge from the jungle and fight for life. We get the certainty that it's beautiful, it's great to be a man ... and much more a man. For we are called to become divine. Yes, the poor shepherds of Bethlehem did not express this as I now express, but they have had this awareness: that man goes far beyond the man, because God, not only wanted to establish his dwelling among men, but has become one of us. In the child of the manger, for some, that day, there was the birth of a certainty: God became man so that man might become God. This certainty will give them another insurance company in existence. They leave to say all the "goodness gracious" manifested in the person of the God-made-man.
So sure, but also appeal. Call can not be heard in silence. Call them, the shepherds, were predisposed to hear, because a shepherd, it passes his days and nights with animals, it does not so much the opportunity to speak, so this is a man of solitude and silence. The shepherds, hear the inner voice. If we want if we are able to stop, to sit down, to cut off the TV and radio, to find some solitude. The inner voice calls us constantly, first look at what we are because we have to judge, we assess, criticize us to change many things in us. The inner voice calls us to remove ourselves from all the remains of animal. I was talking about "law of the jungle." We know: maybe tomorrow, maybe in two weeks, there will be war. We can not do may not be much, but, in fact, the war, it already exists, and we are committed: economic warfare, struggle for life, and every man for himself. Each of us today the inner voice repeats emphatically: "If you welcome into your life the" prince of peace ", you will become children of God." He calls us to "emerge" and the emergence of humanity. I wish you a happy birth to the new world. I wish you a Merry Christmas. - Sr.Francine
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