December 24
CHRISTMAS EVE
(Today
is a day of Fast and Abstinence.)
The Liturgical Year
Dom Gueranger, O.S.B.
At length, says St. Peter Damian, in his
Sermon for this holy Eve, at length we have got from the stormy sea into the
tranquil port; hitherto it was the promise, now it is the prize; hitherto
labour, now rest; hitherto despair, now hope; hitherto the way, now our home.
The heralds of the divine promise came to us; but they gave us nothing but rich
promises. Hence, our Psalmist himself grew wearied, and slept, and, with a
seeming reproachful tone, thus sings his lamentation to God: But thou hast, rejected and despised us; thou hast
deferred the coming of thy Christ. At another time he assumes a tone of
demand, and thus prays: O thou that sittest upon
the Cherubim, show thyself! Seated on thy high throne, with myriads of
adoring Angels around thee, look down upon the children of men, who are victims
of that sin, which was committed indeed by Adam, but permitted by thy justice. Remember what my substance is; thou didst make it
to the likeness of thine own; for though every living man is vanity, yet
inasmuch as he is made to thy Image, he is
not a passing vanity. Bend thy heavens and
come down, and turn the eyes of thy mercy upon us thy miserable suppliants, and
forget us not unto the end!
Isaias, also, in the vehemence of his desire, thus spoke: For Sion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for the
sake of Jerusalem I will not rest, till her Just One come forth as brightness.
Oh! that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down! So, too,
all the Prophets, tired of the long delay of the Coming, have prayed to thee,
now with supplication, now with lamentation, and now with cries of impatience.
We have listened to these their prayers; we have made use of them as our own,
and now, nothing can give us joy or gladness, till our Saviour come to us, and,
kissing us with the kiss of his lips, say to us, I
have heard and granted your prayers.
But, what is this that has been said to us: Sanctify
yourselves, O ye children of Israel, and be ready; for on the morrow,
the Lord will come down? We are, then, but one half day and night from the
grand visit, the admirable Birth of the Infant-God! Hurry on your course, ye
fleeting hours, that we may the sooner see the Son of God in his crib, and pay
our homage to this world-saving Birth. You, Brethren, are the Children of
Israel, that are sanctified, and cleansed from every defilement of soul and
body, ready, by your earnest devotion, for tomorrow's mysteries. Such, indeed,
you are, if I may judge from the manner in which you have spent these sacred
days of preparation for the Coming of your Saviour.
But if, notwithstanding all your care, some drops of the stream of this
life's frailties are still on your hearts, wipe them away and cover them with
the snow-white robe of Confession. This I can promise you from the mercy of the
divine Infant: he that shall confess his sins and be sorry for them, shall have
born within him the Light of the World; the darkness that deceived him, shall
be dispelled; and he shall enjoy the brightness of the true Light. For how can
mercy be denied to the miserable this night, in which the merciful and
compassionate Lord is so mercifully born? Therefore, drive away from you all
haughty looks, and idle words, and unjust works; let your loins be girt, and
your feet walk in the right paths; and then come, and accuse the Lord, if this
night he rend not the heavens, and come down to you, and throw all your sins
into the depths of the sea.
MASS
PROPERS
Simple Violet Vestments
Vigil 1st
Class
INTROITUS - Exodus 16: 6, 7
Hodie
sciétis, quia véniet Dóminus, et salvábit nos: et mane vidébitis glóriam ejus. Ps. 23.1 Dómini est terra et plenitúdo ejus: orbis
terrárum, et univérsi qui hábitant in eo. V. Glória
Patri.
INTROIT
This
day you shall know that the Lord will come, and save us: and in the morning you
shall see His glory. Ps. 23:1 The
earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof: the world and all they that dwell
therein. V. Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
Deus,
qui nos redemptiónis nostræ ánnua exspectatióne lætíficas: præsta; ut
Unigénitum tuum, quem Redemptórem læti suscípimus, veniéntem quoque júdicem
secúri videámus, Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum: Qui tecum.
O
God, who makest us glad with the yearly expectation of our redemption, grant
that we who now joyfully receive Thine only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may
also without fear behold Him coming as
our Judge, the same our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son: Who with Thee.
EPISTLE - Romans 1:1- 6
Paulus,
servus Jesu Christi, vocátus Apóstolus, segregátus in Evangélium Dei, quod ante
promíserat per Prophétas suos in Scriptúris sanctis de Fílio suo, qui factus
est ei ex sémine David secúndum carnem: qui prædestinátus est Fílius Dei in
virtúte secúndum spíritum sanctificatiónis ex resurrectióne mortuórum Jesu
Christi Dómini nostri: per quem accépimus grátiam, et apostolátum ad obediéndum
fídei in ómnibus géntibus pro nómine ejus, in quibus estis et vos vocáti Jesu
Christi Dómini nostri.
Paul,
a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel
of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy Scriptures
concerning His Son, who was made to Him of the seed of David according to the
flesh: who was predestinated the Son of God in power according to the spirit of
sanctification by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead: by whom
we have received grace, and apostleship for obedience to the faith in all
nations for His name, among whom are you also called of Jesus Christ our Lord.
GRADUAL - Exodus 16: 6, 7
Hodie
sciétis, quia véniet Dóminus, et salvábit nos: et mane vidébitis glóriam ejus. V. Qui regis Israël, inténde: qui dedúcis, velut ovem,
Joseph: qui sedes super Chérubim, appáre coram Ephraim, Bénjamin, et Manásse.
This
day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us: and in the morning you
shall see His glory. V. Give ear, O Thou that
rulest Israel: Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep, Thou that sittest upon
the Cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses.
Omit Alleluia.
[Alleluia is only said when the Vigil falls on a Sunday.]
GOSPEL - Matthew 1:18-21
Cum
esset desponsáta mater Jesu María Joseph, ántequam convenírent, invénta est in
útero habens de Spíritu Sancto. Joseph autem vir ejus, cum esset justus et
nollet eam tradúcere, vóluit occúlte dimíttere eam. Hæc autem eo cogitánte,
ecce Angelus Dómini appáruit in somnis ei, dicens: Joseph, fili David, noli
timére accípere Maríam cónjugem tuam: quod enim in ea natum est, de Spíritu
Sancto est. Páriet autem fílium, et vocábis nomen ejus Jesum: ipse enim salvum
fáciet pópulum suum a peccátis eórum.
Then
Mary the Mother of Jesus was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a
just man and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away
privately. But while he thought on these things behold the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for
He shall save His people from their sins.
OFFERTORY Psalm 23: 7
Tollite
portas, príncipes, vestras: ET elevámini, portæ æternáles, et introíbit Rex
Glóriæ.
Lift
up your gates, O ye princes: and: be ye lifted up, O eternal gates, and the
King of glory shall enter in.
SECRET
Da
nobis, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, sicut adoránda Fílii tui natalítia
prævenímus, sic ejus múnera capiámus sempitérna gaudéntes: Qui tecum vivit.
Grant,
we beseech Thee, almighty God, that even as we anticipate the adorable birthday
of Thy Son, so too may we joyfully receive His eternal gifts: Who with Thee.
COMMON PREFACE
Vere
dignum et justum est, ǽquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper, et ubíque grátias ágere:
Dómine sancte, Pater omnípotens, ætérne Deus: per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Per
quem majestátem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominatiónes, tremunt Potestátes.
Cæli, cælorúmque Virtútes, ac beáta Séraphim socía exsultatióne concélebrant.
Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admítti jubéas, deprécamur, súpplici
confessióne dicéntes:
It
is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation, that we should at
all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father
almighty, everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels
praise Thy Majesty, the dominations worship it, the powers stand in awe. The
heavens, and the heavenly hosts, and the blessed Seraphim join together in
celebrating their joy. With whom we pray Thee join our voices also, while we
say in lowly praise:
SANCTUS
Sanctus,
Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt cæli et terra glória tua.
Hosánna in excélsis. Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini. Hosánna in
excélsis.
COMMUNION - Isaiah 40: 5
Revelabitur
gloria Dómini: et vidébit omnis caro salutáre Dei nostri.
The
glory of the Lord shall be revealed: and all flesh shall see the salvation of
our God.
POSTCOMMUNION
Da
nobis, quǽsumus, Dómine, unigéniti Fílii tui recensíta nativitáte respiráre;
cujus cælésti mystério páscimur et potámur. Per eúmdem Dóminum.
Grant,
we beseech Thee, O Lord, that the celebration of the birth of Thine only-
begotten Son may give us fresh life; whose heavenly mystery is our food and
drink. Through the same our Lord.
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