The Nativity of the Lord

Isaiah 52:7-10 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

All the ends of the earth shall see the saving power of our God.

How beautiful on the mountains,

are the feet of one who brings good news,

who heralds peace, brings happiness,

proclaims salvation,

and tells Zion,

‘Your God is king!’

Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices,

they shout for joy together,

for they see the Lord face to face,

as he returns to Zion.

Break into shouts of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord is consoling his people,

redeeming Jerusalem.

The Lord bares his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Isaiah 52:7-10 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news, who announces salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy;

for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 97:1-6 (JB)

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

Sing a new song to the Lord

for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

have brought salvation. R.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

for the house of Israel. R.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord all the earth,

ring out your joy. R.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,

with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

acclaim the King, the Lord. R.

Hebrews 1:1-6 (JB)

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

In our own time, God speaks to us through his Son.

At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.

God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father, or I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hebrews 1:1-6 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors

in many and various ways by the prophets,

but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,

whom he appointed heir of all things,

through whom he also created the worlds.

He is the reflection of God’s glory

and the exact imprint of God’s very being,

and he sustains all things by his powerful word.

When he had made purification for sins,

he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

having become as much superior to angels

as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son”?

And again,

when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

GA (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

A holy day has dawned upon us.

Come you nations and adore the Lord.

Today a great light has come upon the earth.

Alleluia!

John 1:1-18 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory.

In the beginning was the Word:

the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things came to be,

not one thing had its being but through him.

All that came to be had life in him

and that life was the light of men,

a light that shines in the dark,

a light that darkness could not overpower.

A man came, sent by God.

His name was John.

He came as a witness,

as a witness to speak for the light,

so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light,

only a witness to speak for the light.

The Word was the true light

that enlightens all men;

and he was coming into the world.

He was in the world

that had its being through him,

and the world did not know him.

He came to his own domain

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who did accept him

he gave power to become children of God,

to all who believe in the name of him

who was born not out of human stock

or urge of the flesh

or will of man

but of God himself.

The Word was made flesh,

he lived among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John appears as his witness. He proclaims:

‘This is the one of whom I said:

He who comes after me

ranks before me

because he existed before me.’

Indeed, from this fullness we have, all of us, received –

yes, grace in return for grace,

since, though the Law was given through Moses,

grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God;

it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart,

who has made him known.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-5, 9-14 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory.

In the beginning was the Word:

the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things came to be,

not one thing had its being but through him.

All that came to be had life in him

and that life was the light of men,

a light that shines in the dark,

a light that darkness could not overpower.

The Word was the true light

that enlightens all men;

and he was coming into the world.

He was in the world that had its being through him,

and the world did not know him.

He came to his own domain

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who did accept him

he gave power to become children of God,

to all who believe in the name of him

who was born not out of human stock

or urge of the flesh

or will of man

but of God himself.

The Word was made flesh,

he lived among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-18 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

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 into being through him,

and without him not one thing came into being.

What has come into being in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness to testify to the light,

so that all might believe through him.

He himself was not the light,

but he 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 into being through him;

yet the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who received him,

who believed in his name,

he gave power to become children of God,

who were born, not of blood

or of the will of the flesh

or of the will of man,

but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us,

and we have seen his glory,

the glory as of a father’s only son,

full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out,

“This was he of whom I said,

‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me

because he was before me.'”

From his fullness we have all received,

grace upon grace.

The law indeed was given through Moses;

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God.

It is God the only Son,

who is close to the Father’s heart,

who has made him known.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-5, 9-14 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

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 into being through him,

and without him not one thing came into being.

What has come into being in him was life,

and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overcome it.

The true light, which enlightens everyone,

was coming into the world.

He was in the world,

and the world came into being through him;

yet the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who received him,

who believed in his name,

he gave power to become children of God,

who were born, not of blood

or of the will of the flesh

or of the will of man,

but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us,

and we have seen his glory,

the glory as of a father’s only son,

full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.