Readings: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

First Reading: Is 52:7 - 10

    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 Yahweh face to face returning to Zion.

    Break into shouts of joy,
    O ruins of Jerusalem,
    for Yahweh consoles his people
    and redeems Jerusalem.

    Yahweh has bared his holy arm
    in the eyes of the nations;
    all the ends of the earth, in alarm,
    will witness God's salvation.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1-6

    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 known;
    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: Heb 1:1-6

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 say: You are my son, I have begotten you today? and to what angel did he promise: I shall be a father to him and he will be a son to me?
On sending his Firstborn to the world, God says: Let all the angels adore him.

Gospel Reading: Jn 1:1-18 or Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

    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, saying:
    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.