S. Silvestri Papæ et Confessoris ~ Duplex

Commemoratio: Diei VII infra Octavam Nativitatis

 

Wed, 12/31/25:

Today is the feast of St. Sylvester I, P & C, under the 1954 (double) rubrics.

Mass: Pro populo. Mass Si diligis me of a supreme pontiff. White. Gloria. Collect Gregem tuum. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo (for the octave of Christmas). Preface of the Nativity. Proper Communicantes for Christmas in the Canon. Ite. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas.

Office: Ordinary office. White. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons (1st nocturn = proper lessons for December 31 from the Epistle to the Romans with accompanying responsories). Te Deum. Psalms and antiphons of the feria. All else from the common of a confessor bishop. Collect Gregem tuum of a supreme pontiff. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas at Lauds. Omit suffrage.

Introitus
Joann 21:15-17
Si díligis me, Simon Petre, pasce agnos meos, pasce oves meas.
Ps 29:2
Exaltábo te, Dómine, quóniam suscepísti me, nec delectásti inimícos meos super me.
℣. Glória Patri, …

Collect
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Sylvester thy Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

Let us pray.
Commemoration Seventh day of the Octave of Christmas
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 16:13-19
At that time: When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And so on.

A Homily by St. Leo the Pope
Sermo 2 in anniversario assumpt. suæ ante medium
When the Lord, as we read in the Gospel, asked his disciples who did men, amid their diverse speculations, believe him the Son of Man to be, blessed Peter answered and said: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And the Lord answered and said unto him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven: and I say also unto thee: That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. But the dispensation of truth perdures, and blessed Peter, persevering in the strength of the rock which he hath received, hath not relinquished the position he assumed at the helm of the Church.

Post Communion

P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Being appeased, O Lord, guide thy Church, which has been nourished by holy refreshment, that under thy direction and powerful rule it may receive increase of liberty and may continue in religious integrity.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

Let us pray.
Commemoration Seventh day of the Octave of Christmas
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen

Dominica Infra Octavam Nativitatis ~ Semiduplex Dominica minor

Tues, 12/30/25:

Today is the transferred Sunday within the octave of Christmas under the 1954 (semi-double) rubrics; the Mass and Office of this Sunday are transferred entirely to December 30, with all the privileges of an ordinary Sunday, whenever December 26, 27, or 28 fall on Sunday. Mass: Proper Mass of the Sunday within the Christmas octave. White. Gloria. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo. Preface of the Nativity. Proper Communicantes for Christmas in the Canon. Ite. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas (prayers of Christmas Day). No 3rd prayer. Office: Proper office. White. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons (1st nocturn = from the Epistle to the Romans for December 30). Te Deum. Psalms and antiphons at Matins as on Christmas Day. At Lauds and the hours, under 1954, psalms of Sunday (Prime = 53, 118.1, 118.2) with antiphons of Christmas Day. All else from the proper for the Sunday in the octave. Proper collect of the Sunday. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas at Lauds. Omit suffrage. (LB236 on Twitter/X.)

Introitus
Sap 18:14-15.
Dum médium siléntium tenérent ómnia, et nox in suo cursu médium iter háberet, omnípotens Sermo tuus, Dómine, de cœlis a regálibus sédibus venit.
Ps 92:1
Dóminus regnávit, decórem indútus est: indútus est Dóminus fortitúdinem, et præcínxit se.
℣. Glória Patri, …

Collect
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O Almighty and eternal God, direct our actions in conformity with Your will, that in the name of Your beloved Son we may be worthy to do good works in abundance.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen

Let us pray.
For the Octave of the Nativity.
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Luke

Luke 2:33-40
In that time, his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And so on.

Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
Bk. ii on Luke ii
We see that God's abounding grace is poured forth on all by the birth of the Lord, and that the gift of prophecy is not denied to the righteous, but to the unbelieving. Simeon prophesieth that our Lord Jesus Christ is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, setting forth that the just and the unjust reap different fruits from the coming of the Saviour; so will it be with us; according to our individual works will the True and Just Judge apportion to us punishment or reward.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
By the working of this sacrament, O Lord, may our sins be erased and our just desires fulfilled.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

Let us pray.
For the Octave of the Nativity.
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen

S. Thomæ Cantuariensis Episcopi et Martyris

Introitus
Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre beáti Thomæ Mártyris: de cujus passióne gaudent Angeli et colláudant Fílium Dei.
Ps 32:1.
Exsultáte, justi, in Dómino: rectos decet collaudátio.

V. Glória Patri, ...

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, for whose Church Bishop Thomas, now in glory, fell by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech You, that the prayers of all who implore his assistance may be effective and may lead to salvation.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

R. Amen. 

From the Holy Gospel according to John

John 10:11-16
In that time Jesus said to the pharisees: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. And so on.

Homily by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople.
59th on John.
Dearly beloved brethren, the Bishops of the Church hold a great office, an office that needeth much that wisdom and strength whereof Christ hath given us an example. We must learn of Him to lay down our lives for the sheep and never to leave them; and to fight bravely against the wolf. This is the difference between the true shepherd and the hireling. The one leaveth the sheep and seeketh his own safety, but the other recketh not of his own safety, so as he may watch over the sheep. Christ then having given us the pattern of a good shepherd, warneth us against two enemies; first, the thief that cometh not but to kill and to steal, and, secondly, the hireling that standeth by, and defendeth not them that are committed to his charge.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
May this Communion, O Lord, cleanse us of sin, and through the intercession of blessed Thomas, Your Martyr and Bishop, may it make us sharers of heavenly healing.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

Ss. Innocentium ~ Duplex II. classis

Commemoratio: Die IV infra Octavam Nativitatis

Sun, 12/28/25:

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, Mm, under the 1954 (double of the II class with simple octave) rubrics.

Mass: Pro populo. Proper Mass. Under the 1954 rubrics, unique among all feasts in the traditional Roman rite, violet vestments are usually worn today; however, since this year this feast falls on Sunday, red vestments are worn and all the usual elements of a festal Mass are observed. Gloria. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo. Preface of the Nativity. Proper Communicantes for Christmas in the Canon. Ite. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas.

Office: Festal office. Red (since this feast falls on Sunday this year). Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons. Te Deum; omit proper responsory in lesson IX. At Matins, psalms and antiphons from the common of several martyrs outside Paschaltide. At Lauds and the hours, psalms of Sunday (Prime = 53, 118.1, 118.2) with proper antiphons. All else from the proper. Proper collect. At Lauds, commemoration of the octave of Christmas. Omit suffrage.

 (LB236 Twitter/X.)

Introitus
Ps 8:3
Ex ore infántium, Deus, et lacténtium perfecísti laudem propter inimicos tuos.
Ps 8:2
Dómine, Dóminus noster: quam admirábile est nomen tuum in univérsa terra!
V. Glória Patri, ...

Collect
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, Whose praise the Innocents, Your martyrs, this day proclaimed, not by speaking, but by dying, put to death in us all the wickedness of sin, so that Your faith which our tongue professes may be proclaimed also by our life.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 2:13-18
At that time, an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. And so on.

Homily by St. Jerome, Priest (at Bethlehem)
Book I Comment, on Matth. II
He took the young Child, and His mother, and fled into Egypt, by night and in darkness; and the darkness of that night was a figure of the darkness of ignorance in which they left the unbelievers from whom they fled. But when they returned into Judaea, we learn not from the Gospel that it was by night, or in darkness; which is an image of that light which will lighten the Jews, when, at the end of the world, they shall receive back the faith, which now lighteneth the Gentiles, even as Judaea received Christ returning from Egypt.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
We have partaken, O Lord, of the dedicated gifts: may they, we beseech You, help us through the intercession of Your saints both for this life and life eternal.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

S. Joannis Apostoli et Evangelistæ ~ Duplex II. classis

Commemoratio: Die III infra Octavam Nativitatis

Saturday, 12/27/25:

Today is the feast of St. John, Ap & Ev, under the 1954 (double of the II class with simple octave) and 1962 (II class) rubrics.

Mass: Pro populo. Proper Mass. White. Gloria. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo. Preface of the Nativity. Proper Communicantes for Christmas in the Canon. Celebrant bows his head at the mention of St. John's name in the Canon. Ite. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas.

Office: Under 1954, festal office. White. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons. Te Deum. At Matins, psalms and antiphons from the common of apostles. At Lauds and the hours, psalms of Sunday (Prime = 53, 118.1, 118.2) with proper antiphons. All else from the proper. Proper collect. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas at Lauds. Omit suffrage. (LB236 on Twitter/X.)

Introitus
Eccli 15:5
In médio Ecclésiæ apéruit os ejus: et implévit eum Dóminus spíritu sapiéntiæ et intelléctus: stolam glóriæ índuit eum.
Ps 91:2
Bonum est confitéri Dómino: et psállere nómini tuo, Altíssime.
V. Glória Patri, ...

Oratio
V. Dóminus vobíscum.
R. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus.
Ecclésiam tuam, Dómine, benígnus illústra: ut, beáti Joánnis Apóstoli tui et Evangelístæ illumináta doctrínis, ad dona pervéniat sempitérna.
Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

Orémus.
Pro Octava Nativitatis
Concéde, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut nos Unigéniti tui nova per carnem Natívitas líberet; quos sub peccáti jugo vetústa sérvitus tenet.
Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to John
John 21:19-24
In that time Jesus said to Peter: Follow me. Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following. And so on.

Homily on this passage by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo)
124 on the Tract on John
The Church knoweth of two different lives, which God hath revealed and blessed: one is the life of faith, the other the life of knowledge; one the life of this pilgrimage, the other the life of the eternal mansions; one the life of work, the other the life of rest; one the life of the journey, the other the life of home; one the life of action, the other the life of contemplation. The one escheweth evil and doeth good; the other hath no evil to eschew, and only an exceeding good to enjoy. The one striveth with the enemy, the other hath no enemies, and reigneth.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Refreshed with heavenly food and drink, we humbly pray You, our God, that we also may be helped by his prayers in memory of whom we have partaken of these gifts.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of the Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

S. Stephani Protomartyris ~ Duplex II. classis

Commemoratio: Die II infra Octavam Nativitatis

Friday, 12/26/25:

Today is the feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr, under the 1954 (double of the II class with simple octave) and 1962 (II class) rubrics.

Mass: Pro populo. Proper Mass. Red. Gloria. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo. Preface of the Nativity. Proper Communicantes for Christmas in the Canon. Celebrant bows his head at the mention of St. Stephen's name in the Canon. Ite. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas (orations of the Mass of Christmas Day).

Office: Under 1954, festal office. Red. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons. Te Deum. At Matins, psalms and antiphons from the common of one martyr outside Paschaltide. At Lauds and the hours, psalms of Sunday (Prime = 53, 118.1, 118.2) with proper antiphons. All else from the proper. Proper collect. Commemoration of the octave of Christmas at Lauds. Omit suffrage. (LB236 on Twitter/X.)

Introitus
Ps 118:23; 118:86; 118:23
Sedérunt príncipes, et advérsum me loquebántur: et iníqui persecúti sunt me: ádjuva me, Dómine, Deus meus, quia servus tuus exercebátur in tuis justificatiónibus.
Ps 118:1
Beati immaculáti in via, qui ámbulant in lege Dómini,
V. Glória Patri, ...

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Grant us, we beseech thee, O Lord, so to imitate what we revere, that we may learn to love even our enemies; for we celebrate the heavenly birthday of him who knew how to pray for his very persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

Let us pray.
For Octave of the Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the new birth, in the flesh, of Your only-begotten Son may deliver us whom the bondage of old keeps under the yoke of sin.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 23:34-39
At that time, Jesus said to the scribes and pharisee: I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify. And so on,

Homily by St. Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem.
Book IV, Commentary on Matth. XXIII
We have already remarked that the Lord's words, Fill ye up the measure of your fathers, 32, refer in the first place to Himself, Whom the Jews afterwards put to death. In a secondary sense it may likewise be applied to His disciples, of whom He saith, Behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes. Here observe that, according to the Apostle writing to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xii. 4, there are diversities of gifts among Christ's followers. Some are Prophets of that which is to come; some are wise men, who know the due season for rebuke and exhortation; some are Scribes learned in the law. And of these they stoned Stephen, slew Paul with the sword, crucified Peter, and scourged the Disciples mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. v, 40; xvi, 23.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
May the sacrament we have received aid us, O Lord; and by the intercession of blessed Stephen, Your Martyr, may it sustain us under Your everlasting protection.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Let us pray.
For Octave of the Nativity
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the Saviour of the world, born this day, Who is the author of our birth in godliness, may bestow on us immortal life.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

Midnight Mass: "Dóminus dixit ad me: Fílius meus es tu, ego hódie génui te."

 

Introitus
Ps 2:7.
Dóminus dixit ad me: Fílius meus es tu, ego hódie génui te.
Ps 2:1
Quare fremuérunt gentes: et pópuli meditáti sunt inánia?
V. Glória Patri, ...

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, Who have brightened this most holy night with the splendor of the true light, grant, we beseech You, that we may know in heaven the joy of that light which we have known mystically on earth.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 2:1-14
At that time, it came to pass that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. And so on.

Homily by Pope St. Gregory (the Great)
8th on the Gospels
"By God's mercy we are to say three Masses today, so that there is not much time left for preaching; but at the same time the occasion of the Lord's Birthday itself obliges me to speak a few words. I will first ask why, when the Lord was to be born, the world was enrolled? Was it not to herald the appearing of Him by Whom the elect are enrolled in the book of life? Whereas the Prophet saith of
the reprobate: Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. Ps. lxviii. 29. Then, the Lord is born in Bethlehem. Now the name Bethlehem signifieth the House of Bread, and thus it is the birth-place of Him Who hath said: I am the Living Bread, Which came down from heaven. John vi. 51. We see then that this name of Bethlehem was prophetically given to the place where Christ was born, because it was there that He was to appear in the flesh by Whom the souls of the faithful are fed unto life eternal. He was born, not in His Mother's house, but away from home. And this is a mystery, showing that this our mortality into which He was born was not the home of Him Who is begotten of the Father before the worlds."

“O God, You Who gladden us year after year with the expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now welcome with joy Your only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also gaze upon Him without fear when He comes as our judge, our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Collect of the Vigil of Nativity)

What is this indescribable joy with which we greet all the Christmases of our life on earth

Anticipating His coming even before the first days of advent preparation

The knowledge that God loves us

The evidence of faith

The fact that He joins His divinity to our humanity on this night of the nativity of the Lord

In such a way that His union with us may never be broken by sin or any other weakness of our flesh

He humbly entrusts Himself to us in this and in every holy Mass of our lives: Eucharist, the same true and real Presence witnessed on that holy night of His birth over 2,000 years ago by Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the angels

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will.”

But with His birth, Risking that He may not be loved with the worship and adoration which is His due by right as our God

Even suffering so often the outrages and sacrileges of unbelievers and the pains inflicted by the baptized who betray Him

But we wish this night through our worship of the newborn Lord to greet Him with this joy which is evidence of our Holy Faith

“The grace of God our Saviour has appeared to all men, instructing us, in order that, rejecting ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live temperately and justly and piously in this world; looking for the blessed hope and glorious coming of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Epistle)

We promise, this Christmas and always, to hold Him up before an unbelieving world, and to call every creature to fall down in worship, restoring to creation the rightly ordered love of God which grants also to us the true charity which only will bring peace on Earth and which only can be the foundation of the love the world seeks: rooted in God whose mercy in the newborn Savior will ever be the only source of true hope, hope which finds in His humility the true lowliness which is ours by nature and the evidence of His condescension: the King of all will serve by making Himself our gift.

What kind of gift? What treasure? The greatest possible to be imagined in this mortal flesh: the Eternal life of God through grace.

Yes: this Christmas and every day let us seek Him and knowing Him here in this gift of His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, each moment another Christmas; let us know and believe in the true life He shares with us, that of God without beginning and end;

Thus may our Christmas joy be full at this Christmas and always.

“O God, Who have brightened this most holy night with the splendor of the true light, grant, we beseech You, that we may know in heaven the joy of that light which we have known mystically on earth.” (Collect of Christmas Day)

Merry Christmas!