THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD - Mass Propers

              The Nativity of Our Lord

Double of the First Class/Privileged Octave of Third Order

              White Vestments

           Missa ‘Puer natus est’

      THIRD MASS DURING THE DAY

      STATION AT ST. MARY MAJOR

           (Plenary Indulgence)

INTROIT - Isaias 9: 6

Puer natus est nobis, et fílius datus est nobis: cujus impérium super húmerum ejus: et vocábitur nomen ejus magni consílii Angelus. Ps. 97: 1 Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum: quia mirabília fecit. V. Glória Patri.

A child is born to us, and a Son is given to us: whose government is upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called, the Angel of great counsel. Ps. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He hath done wonderful things. V. Glory be to the Father.

COLLECT

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the new birth in the flesh of Thine only-begotten Son may set us free, whom the old bondage doth hold under the yoke of sin. Through the same our Lord.

EPISTLE - Hebrews 1: 1-11

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world: who being the brightness of His glory and the figure of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath He said at any time: Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee? And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith: And let all the angels of God adore Him. And to the angels indeed He saith: He that maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. And: Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the works of Thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but Thou shalt continue; and they shall all grow old as a garment: and as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the selfsame, and Thy years shall not fail.

GRADUAL - Psalm 97: 3-4, 2

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God: sing joyfully to God, all the earth. V. The Lord hath made known His salvation: He hath revealed His justice in the sight of the nations.

ALLELUIA - Psalm 2: 7

Alleluia, alleluia. V. A sanctified day hath shone upon us: come ye nations and adore the Lord: for this day a great light hath descended upon the earth.  Alleluia.

GOSPEL - John 1: 1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was in God's presence, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was made nothing that was made: in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men; and the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the Light, but he was to testify concerning the Light. That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him to them He gave power to become sons of God, to them that believe in His Name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [Here all kneel.] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

OFFERTORY - Psalm 88:12, 15

Thine are the heavens, and Thine is the earth, the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded: justice and judgment are the preparation of Thy throne.

SECRET

The gifts we offer, do Thou, O Lord, sanctify by the new birth of Thine only-begotten Son: and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same.

CHRISTMAS PREFACE

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 and everlasting God.  Because by the mystery of the Word made flesh the light of Thy glory hath shone anew upon the eyes of our mind: that while we acknowledge Him to be God seen by men, we may be drawn by Him to the love of things unseen. And therefore with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy glory, saying without ceasing:

THE 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 - Psalm 97: 3

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that as the Saviour of the world born on this day is the author of our divine generation, so He may Himself also be to us the giver of immortality. Who with Thee liveth.

After the Blessing, the following Last Gospel is read.

Matthew Chapter II: 1-12

Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of King Herod, behold there came Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief Priests and the Scribes of the people, he inquired of them, where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda: for so it is written by the Prophet: And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel. Then, Herod, privately calling the Wise Men, learned diligently of them the time of the star, which appeared to them: and sending them into Bethlehem, said Go, and diligently inquire after the Child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore. Who, having heard the king, went their way. And behold, the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child, with Mary, his Mother, (here, all kneel,) and falling down they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep, that they should not return to Herod, they went back, another way, into their own country. 

Thanks be to God.