The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of
Christ,
Commonly called Christmas-Day.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY
God,
who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at
this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we, being regenerate and made
thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit;
through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Epistle Reading: Hebrews 1.1-12
Gospel Reading: St. John 1.1-14
[If in
any Church the Holy Communion be twice celebrated on Christmas Day, the
following Collect, Epistle, and Gospel may be used at the first Communion.
[Appropriate for Christmas Eve]
GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of
the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him
for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come
to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God,
world without end. Amen.]
Epistle Reading: Titus 2.11-15
Gospel Reading: Luke 2.1-14
[If you have time, here is a
Christmas meditation I posted on my blog: “The Stunning Humility of God”. http://mphilliber.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-stunning-humility-of-god.html]
Barbee and Zahl:
“The Good News of the
Gospel affirms that God is both for us and with us. His being for us means that
He does something on our behalf that we cannot do for ourselves. This for-us-ness
refers to the Atonement, by which Christ died for us in our place on the Cross,
thereby sparing us from judgment and guilt. God’s with-us-ness means
that He has “taken our nature upon him,” to accompany us as friend and shepherd
during the pilgrimage of living. This with-us-ness refers to the
Incarnation, by which God is born into the world and shares the condition of
human beings with the single exception of sin” (11)
St. Athanasius:
“…the renewal of
creation has been wrought by the Self-same Word who made it in the beginning.
There is no inconsistency between creation and salvation; for the One Father
has employed the same Agent for both works, effecting the salvation of the
world through the same Word Who made it in the beginning” (“The Incarnation of
the Word of God,” 1.1).
Primus Pilus II Mike
