The Nativity of our Lord; Christmas Day

Date: December 25, 2009

First Reading (Isaiah 52: 7-10)
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
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 the Lord's face to face returning to Zion. Break into shouts of joy, O ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord consoles his people and redeems Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm in the eyes of the nations; all the ends of the earth, in alarm, will witness God's salvation.

Second Reading (Hebrews 1: 1-6)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews.
Brothers and sisters: 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 state: You are my son, I have begotten you today? and to what the angel did he promise: I shall be a father to him and he will be a son to me? On sending his first-born to the world, God states: Let all the angels adore him.

Gospel (John 1: 1-18)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
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 were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome. A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but a witness to introduce the Light. For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God. And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness. John bore witness to him openly, stating: This is the one who comes after me, but he is already ahead of me for he was before me. From his fullness we have all received favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.