'Now there were shepherds . . .'. Christmas Day

The Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, c.1610

Readings (New American Bible version, used in the Philippines and USA).

Vigil Mass  ‘This Mass is celebrated during the afternoon of 24 December, before or after Evening Prayer I of Christmas.' (The Sacramentary).

Mass at Midnight Here in the Philippines, for a number of reasons, the Mass at Midnight is celebrated earlier - at 8pm, 9pm or 10pm.

Mass at Dawn 

Mass During the Day 

Gospel from Mass at Midnight (Luke 2:1-14)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

In Jesus, the Medium Is Indeed the Message

Biblical Reflection for Christmas Day Mass, Year A

By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

Fr Rosica’s reflection is on the readings for Mass During the Day.

TORONTO, DEC. 21, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The message of Christmas takes our breath away every year and continues to stagger the imagination: the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the only begotten Son of the Father, the eternal Word, our Creator, wills to clothe himself in our nature, and to become man, our brother, one of us! God himself lies in the manger, completely human, completely divine. It is an awesome reality!

Divine communication

The second reading for Christmas Mass during the day (Hebrews 1:1-6) opens with a reflection on the climax of God's revelation to the human race in his Son. The divine communication was initiated and maintained during Old Testament times in fragmentary and varied ways through the prophets. But now in these last days (v. 2) the final age, God's revelation of his saving purpose is achieved through a son, i.e., one who is Son, whose role is redeemer and mediator of creation. He was made heir of all things through his death and exaltation to glory, yet he existed before he appeared as man; through him God created the universe. The once-humiliated and crucified Jesus has been declared God's Son, and this name shows his superiority to the angels.

Full text here.