The Nativity of the Lord, Mass at Dawn

Look, your saviour comes | Isaiah 62:11-12

This the Lord proclaims

to the ends of the earth:

Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look,

your saviour comes,

the prize of his victory with him,

his trophies before him.’

They shall be called ‘The Holy People’,

‘The Lord’s Redeemed.’

And you shall be called ‘The-sought-after’,

‘City-not-forsaken.’

This day new light will shine upon the earth: the Lord is born for us. | Psalm 97:1,6,11-12

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,

  let all the coastlands be glad.

The skies proclaim his justice;

  all peoples see his glory.

This day new light will shine upon the earth: the Lord is born for us.

Light shines forth for the just

  and joy for the upright of heart.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord;

  give glory to his holy name.

This day new light will shine upon the earth: the Lord is born for us.

It was no reason except his own compassion that he saved us | Titus 3:4-7

When the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.

Luke 2:14

The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger | Luke 2:15-20

Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.

'Scripture readings taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, and used by permission of the publishers'