December 25, 2014 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

First Reading

How beautiful upon the mountains are
the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing
salvation, and saying to Zion,

Your God is King!”

Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry, together
they shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD
restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD
comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in
the sight of all the nations all the ends of the earth will behold the
salvation of our God. Responsorial
Psalm

R/ All the ends of the earth have
seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song, for
he has done wondrous deeds his right hand has won victory for him, his holy
arm.

R/ All the ends of the earth have
seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation
knownand in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has
remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.

R/ All the ends of the earth have
seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have
seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands break
into song sing praise.

R/ All the ends of the earth have
seen the saving power of God.

Sing praise to the LORD with the
harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

R/ All the ends of the earth have
seen the saving power of God.

Second Reading

Brothers and sistersand In times
past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the
prophets in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son, whom he made
heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the
refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all
things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he
took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the
angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God
ever sayand You are my son this day I have begotten you? Or againand I will be a
father to him, and he shall be a son to me?

And again, when he leads the
firstborn into the world, he saysand Let all the angels of God worship him.
Gospel Jn
1and1-18

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 came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to
be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race the
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named
John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that
all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to
testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but
the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did
not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he
gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who
were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only
Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, This
was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because
he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place
of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at
the Father’s side, has revealed him.