December |Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord 25 Christmas Day

“And the Word became fesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

When I was growing up, I can remember waking up early on Christmas morning and rushing into the living room to look at all of the packages under- neath the tree to fnd the best present. It never occurred to me that the best gift may not be under the tree at all, but located nearby in the Nativity scene. I have heard Christmas referred to as the frst Easter celebration. Certainly, these two feasts are intimately linked as they stand as the bookends of our Cath- olic faith: Jesus Christ is born to us in a manger and rose from the dead to free us from sin and death. Have I ever really stopped to consider what it means that the Son of God who existed before time began, who created everything I will ever experience, who will come again in judgment of the world at the end of time was born of a woman in a small town in Israel as a powerless baby totally dependent on his parents for survival? One of the great mysteries of the Church is how Christ is both true God and true man — two natures in His one person. Jesus Christ could not have saved us if this were not the case. The Christmas gift of the Incarnation not only frees us from the consequences of sin, but also joins all humanity into God’s own Trinitarian life. Today, we celebrate the power, who holds the stars in His hands, coming into the world as a baby to reconcile us to God.

Prayer: Today, as I recite the Creed at Mass or look at the Christmas tree, let me refect on the greatest gift of all. Amen.

John Gomez Deacon-in-Formation, Parish Council, & Social Justice Team,

37 Christmas Day Prayer

God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Psalm 97: 1, 6, 11-12

A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us. The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name.

Reading – Hebrews 1:1-4

In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our fathers through the prophets; in this, the fnal age, he has spoken to us through his Son, whom he has made heir of all things and through whom he frst created the universe. This Son is the refection of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of the Father’s being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Canticle

Morning Prayer – Canticle of Zechariah (inside front cover) Evening Prayer – Canticle of Mary (inside back cover)

38 Intercessions (Response: May your birth bring peace to all.)

Lord, fll your holy people with whatever good they need, let the mystery of your birth be the source of our peace.

You came as chief shepherd and guardian of our lives, let the pope and bishops be faithful channels of your many gifts of grace.

King from all eternity, you desired to be born within time and to experience the day-to-day life of men and women, share your gift of unending life with us, weak people, doomed to death.

Awaited from the beginning of the world, you came only in the fullness of time, now reveal your presence to those who are still expecting you.

You became man and gave new life to our human condition in the grip of death, now give the fullness of life to all who have died.

Our Father...

Prayer

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, as we are bathed in the new radiance of your incarnate Word, the light of faith, which illumines our minds, may also shine through in our deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

39 Canticle of Zechariah – Morning Prayer

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Canticle of Mary (Magnifcat) – Evening Prayer

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.

He has flled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Keep Holy the Lord’s Day: Sunday Hour Unplugged

Welcome to Advent! As Fr. Jim mentioned in his introduction, we are ofering you a gift this Advent (and beyond!) that we hope will nourish your relationship with God and spill over into the rest of your life. Every Sunday, we encourage you to detach from the busy world for a set period of time by unplug- ging — turning of phones, computers, televisions, tablets, and gaming, video and audio devices — so that you can take this time to breathe and attach more to God and others. To help, we are providing these suggestions to help fll some or all of the time, but feel free to be creative and make your own plans. We hope you will give this a try: just pick a set amount of time to unplug every Sunday, make a plan and enjoy.

May God bless our hours unplugged and instill in us the true spirit of Advent. The St. Clare Pastoral Staf

Pray on your own or with others | Read a book on your own or discuss a book with others | Take a nap | Visit a nursing home, a friend or fam- ily member who is sick, or someone who is homebound | Cook and eat a meal with others or your family | Take a hike, go for a walk, or play on a playground | Play non-electronic games, like board games, hide-and-seek, sports, or cards | Share your favorite childhood stories | Visit the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, Cathedral Basilica or Botanical Gardens, or go walking in Forest Park | Check out a library, art show, book reading, festival, win- ery, etc. | Drive to a nearby town and explore it (Belleville, Lebanon, and St. Charles (MO) all have downtown Christmas attractions in December!) | Visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Way of Lights or other Christmas lights display | Have a bonfire and roast marshmallows or make s’mores 3