The Four-fold Service of the Christ-Mass

A very merry Christmas to you, dear reader, on this Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord, this Christmas Eve.

It is the Eve of Christmas, the Eve, the Eve of the Christ-Mass. A high feast in the Church's Calendar and of great significance for our Christian faith. Lost amid all the fights about when Christmas starts (today) and the increasing secular celebrations surrounding it is the fact that Christmas is an incredibly rich feast. It is so rich in significance for our faith that over time the church has evolved three distinct masses (at three distinct times of the day) to contain it all. 

Although these three masses are often contracted into two, these are three celebrations. Here in our LC–MS, there is even a fourth celebration added, for earlier in the day on Christmas Eve (p.s. some might argue there are still just three celebrations, with the so-called "first" taking place early on Christmas Eve, before the sundown start of the feast... but let's not quibble. I'm calling it four). The services, which together comprise a distinct whole, are as follows:

The First Mass of the Christ-Mass, Christmas Eve
  The Announcement to Joseph of the Birth of Christ

Introit: Psalm 24:1, 3-5; antiphon: Psalm 2:6-7

Verse: Alleluia. The Lord said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." Alleluia.

Collect: O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge.

Old Testament: Isaiah 7:10-14.

Epistle: 1 John 4:7-16.

Holy Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25.

The Second Mass of the Christ-Mass, at midnight
  The Historical Birth in Bethlehem

Introit Psalm 2:1-2, 4-6; antiphon: Liturgical Text.

Verse: Alleluia. Oh come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! Alleluia.

Collect: O God, You make this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that as we have known the mysteries of that Light on earth we may also come to the fullness of His joys in heaven.

Old Testament: Isaiah 9:2-7.

Epistle: Titus 2:11-15.

Gospel: Luke 2:1-14.

The Third Mass of the Christ-Mass, at dawn
  The Spiritual Birth in the Believer

Introit: Psalm 93:102,5; antiphon Isaiah 9:2a, 6a, 6c.

Verse: Alleluia. The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Alleluia.

Collect: Most merciful God, You gave Your eternal Word to become incarnate of the pure Virgin. Grant Your people grace to put away fleshly lusts, that they may be ready for Your visitation.

Old Testament: Micah 5:2-5a.

Epistle: Titus 3:4-7.

Gospel: Luke 2:15-20.

The Fourth Mass o the Christ-Mass, during the day
  The Eternal Generation in the Trinity

Introit: Psalm 98:1-4; antiphon: Isaiah 9:6.

Alleluia. A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, all you nations, and worship the Lord. Alleluia.

Collect: Almighty god, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of sin.

Old Testament: Exodus 40:17-21, 34-38.

Epistle: Titus 3:4-7.

Gospel: John 1:1-14.

Weekly Bible Readings

My daily Bible readings for this week, Sunday, December 5th through Saturday the 12th. The pericopes for Sunday morning were: Malachi 4:1-6, Romans 15:4-13, and Luke 21:25-36.


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HT: Let's Hold Back the Christmas Cheer:

From Losana Boyd on the First Things (Roman Catholic) Blog:

Advent is the great season of preparation for the greatest of all gifts: Christ Himself. But as our culture makes all too obvious, this is also a season of high commercialism. As Fr. George Rutler from Our Saviour Parish in New York City reminds us:

The season of Advent is lyrically beautiful if one is willing to engage the realities it teaches: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. The alternative is to create a parallel universe partying in a faux Christmas confection of jingle bells, dancing elves, and self-conscious bonhomie, avoiding the Incarnation of God.

Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell—the themes of the four Sundays in Advent don’t exactly seemed filled with Christmas cheer. Instead, they are sobering, encouraging a state of wakefulness from the distractions of frivolity. Advent has become something truly countercultural–at a time when holiday parties and merry making are at a fever pitch, Advent calls us to remember the passing nature of this world and the eternity that awaits.

Be sure to read the rest of Fr. Rutler’s column here.

Weekly Bible Readings

So with the coming of the new Church Year on Sunday, I'm changing up my morning Bible devotions. I'm making it simple and switching to reading one Old Testament chapter, one New Testament chapter, and one Psalm each morning. This is a lot less than I was reading, but the smaller amounts will enable me to spend more focused time on the Scripture that I'm reading. I will continue to do this every morning except on the Lord's Day and on major feasts and festivals (when I spend time on the assigned pericopes instead). In case you're interested, I'll throw up the week's readings as a graphic once a week. The pericopes for Sunday morning were: Jeremiah 23:5-8, Romans 13:8-14, and Matthew 21:1-9.

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