Brought to you courtesy of Catholic Ireland
Christmas Day
-25-12-2025-
Christmas Midnight Mass
The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory.
We have focused here on the Midnight Mass Gospel Text.
hopefully you will find it helpful for all the Christmas day gospels
vs.1Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken.
vs.2 This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria,
vs.3 and everyone went to his own town to be registered.
vs.4 So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line,
vs.5 in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
vs.6 While they were there the time came for her to have her child,
vs.7 and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
vs.8 In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night.
vs.9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified,
vs.10 but the angel said, Do not be afraid. Listen,
I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.
vs.11 Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
vs.12 And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
vs.13 And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
vs.14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.”
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We have three sets of homily notes to choose from.
Please scroll down the page to read them.
Michel DeVerteuil : Late Trinidadian Holy Ghost Priest, director of the Centre of Biblical renewal .
Thomas O’Loughlin: Prof. of Historical Theology University of Nottingham NG7 2RD :
Donal Neary SJ: Editor of The Sacred Heart Messenger
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Michel de Verteuil
Lectio Divina with the Sunday Gospels – Year A
www.columba.ie
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Scriptural Prayers
“Nothing happens before its time.” Trinidadian saying
Lord, we pray for those who are involved in lofty projects and are becoming impatient:
* parish youth leaders who are not getting co-operation;
* a new party that has won no seats in the elections;
* parents who are trying in vain to dialogue with their teenagers.
Help them to remember Mary and how when the time came For her to have her child she gave birth to a son. She was at peace, felt no great concern that there was no room for them in the inn, merely wrapped her child in swaddling cloths, laid him in a manger and got on with new life as a mother.
Lord, in these our days we are all very busy.
At work or in school we have to expend much effort to achieve success.
At home we are bombarded with information from television, radio. Utube, Spotify, Twitter, X, meta and social infuencers , podcasters etc
We have time only for the sensational often allowing the ordinary events of life to come and go:
• the signs of maturity in our children;
• the life crises of those close to us;
• new stirrings of resentment, racism, alienation, fear, hope or despair among ordinary or new people in our country.
Even in our relationship with you, God, we concentrate on the miraculous and the extraordinary, glorify and praise you because things turn out exactly as we were told they would.
Mary teaches us on the contrary to see in every event a call to grow, a sacred word you speak to us to be welcomed as a treasure and pondered in our hearts, reflected on and integrated into our consciousness.
Lord, help us to be more like Mary.
St Catherine if Sienna used say “My cell, (accomodation) will not be one of stone or wood, but of self-knowledge.”
Lord, we thank you for all the contemplatives in the world, those in enclosed convents, and those called, like Mary, Martha’a sister who live quietly in their families and in secular surroundings.
While others chatter and repeat endlessly what they have been told by others,
People like Mary, know how to be silent, treasuring things and pondering them in her heart.
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3. Thomas O’Loughlin,
Liturgical Resources for Advent and Christmas
www.columba.ie
Homily notes
1. The homily today always seems to be inadequate: the festival is bubbling over
~with symbols of the season (holly, ivy, Santa, and what not)
~and with people’s heightened emotions on the big day.
Moreover, the mystery that one has to speak about is so much more than anything capable of being put into words. Anything actually said seems paltry and trite. Yet the day still needs a word. The day needs to have its focus drawn to the mind as well as to the senses. And, there may be many there in the assembly today who will not hear any word from one end of the year to the other, and to them is owed the duty of empathetic preaching.
The task is to take the theme of ‘God-with-us’ and present it in such a way that
(1) the homily can be followed using a framework already familiar to the audience;
(2) that seems appropriately seasonal; and
(3) that has a certain lightness suited to holiday time.
2. 
The individuals who make up the congregation are asked to imagine where they stand in the array of people that are mentioned in the Bethlehem scene.
3. Imagine yourself as one of the people inside the inn. The significance of the day passes them by? For this group the birth of Jesus is an ‘irrelevance‘: it does not touch them and they show no interest. To them it was just an external knock on the door, and they just kept going on with what they were doing. Then as now, this is the majority of people.
Here are people who are open to wonder. They can accept good news. They are people who are already part of a faith tradition, they shared the practices, hopes, and fears of the people, but were also ready to respond with faith to the voice of God.
5. Do you imagine yourself as one of the wise ones, the searching kings, who came from the east?
These are people who are dedicated to searching out the great human questions, but they are not just engaged in idle speculation: they set out and searched for the truth.
They listened to the promptings of conscience; they did not come empty handed. These are dedicated searchers after the truth and conscientious doers of the good.
All their talents they are placing in the service of God-with-us.
6. Do you imagine yourself like Joseph: caring for the welfare of the church, working in the community, taking on special responsibilities towards the Word made flesh. He is helping to make the good news known, and prepared to response to the inner call of vocation. The ideal ‘almost perfect’ carer.
7. Do maybe you imagine yourself as sharing in the vocation of Mary? She literally brings the word of God into the our world for us
8. Each of us is called upon to fulfil all these ways of being here in varying ways.
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God’s Gift itself: There is a crucial lesson here for us about how we need to welcome the newborn infant Jesus. He is the fulfilment of God’s promise to send the Messiah. His coming into the world was carefully choreographed by God the Father so that people would be properly prepared for his arrival.
The various layers of wrapping are the details of the unfolding story of salvation history over many centuries, even millennia.
None of the many layers of wrapping had gone unnoticed by the mother of Jesus. She never forgot the goodness of God and the tremendous blessing that he had given, not only to her but to his Chosen People.
9. As we go home from Mass today, let us remember to notice everything about the presents that we receive from those who love us. In thanking them, let us acknowledge their efforts in even surrounding their gift with layers of love that are symbolised in the wrapping and packaging.
Meditation
No one had ever seen God;
it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made Him known.
(Jn 1:18)
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Donal Neary SJ
Gospel Reflections for Sundays of Year A: Matthew
www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
Welcome to God and from God
Most homes have a crib of some sorts; it is the heart of our Christmas. It brings the mystery of the birth of Jesus into our homes. Some church cribs have an open front – a sign that all are welcome and yet many people may feel unwelcome in the church – e.g.
*people in second or other relationships that cause questions to be asked,
*families who feel ashamed for what some of their family members may have done,
*people who have spent time in prison, mental hospital or living on the streets
*people in/ recovering from different forms of addiction or mental health issues
*People who live alone or on the streets without family support.
Like the shepherds at the first crib, all were welcome.
As church we need to welcomes all at this time of year all who wish to greet Jesus.
May we welcome all people as God does, with the compassion and love that is of God?
Christmas reminds us to deal with each other with a little more love, sensitivity and compassion.
Jesus coming among us reminds us that he is right there in our midst but we do not always recognise him
– in so far as you do it to these people you do it to me.
An old Christmas prayer
Pray with your breathing – with every outbreath simply say
a name you wish to remember in prayer.
And maybe even pray this sufi prayer:
Your light o Lord is in all forms, Your love in all beings,
Allow us to recognize You/ in all your holy names and forms.
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