December 26 - the Feast of St. Stephen, Proto-martyr

Traditional Catholic Prayers: Christmas Vespers Hymns


Martyrdom of St. Stephen

December 26.—ST. STEPHEN, First Martyr.

THERE is good reason to believe that St. Stephen was one of the seventy-two disciples of our blessed Lord. After the Ascension he was chosen one of the seven deacons. The ministry of the seven was very fruitful; but Stephen especially, “full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people.” Many adversaries rose up to dispute with him, but “they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit that spoke.” At length he was brought before the Sanhedrim, charged, like His divine Master, with blasphemy against Moses and against God. He boldly upbraided the chief priests with their hard-hearted resistance to the Holy Ghost and with the murder of the “Just One.” They were stung with anger, and gnashed their teeth against him. But when, “filled with the Holy Ghost and looking up to heaven, he cried out, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God,’ they rushed upon him, and dragging him forth without the city, they stoned him to death.”

Reflection.—If ever you are tempted to resentment, pray from your heart for him who has offended you.

Acts 6,8

Now Stephen, full of grace and courage, did great wonders and signs among the people.

HYMN

O invincible Martyr, in following the only Son of the Father, having overcome thy enemies, thou dost reign as a Victor amidst heavenly delight.

Through thy intercession, wash away the Stains of our sins: keep from us all blight of error, and deliver us from life’s weariness.

O thou, loosened already from the chains of thy sacred body: deliver us also from the chains of the world, by the grace of the King of Heaven.
O Jesus, born of the Virgin, eternal glory be to thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for all eternity. Amen.

V. Devout men buried Stephen. R. And made great mourning over him.

At the Bened. Ant. And Stephen * full of grace and courage, did great wonders among the people.

PRAYER

Vouchsafe unto us we beseech thee, O Lord, so to strive after the holiness we venerate, as to love even our enemies; for we are celebrating the martyrdom of one, whose dying prayer was to plead for the pardon of his very murderers, from thy Son our Lord: who with thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns unto the endless ages of ages.

Octave of Christmas

Ant. Glory to God in the highest, * and on earth peace to men of good will, alleluia, alleluia.
V. The Lord has made known, alleluia. R. His salvation, alleluia.

PRAYER

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the new birth in the flesh of thine only-begotten Son may set us free, who, because of the former bondage of our race, are still borne down under the yoke of sin. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns unto the endless ages of ages to come. Amen.

Acts 6,8

Now Stephen, full of grace and courage, did great wonders and signs among the people.

HYMN

O God, who art the portion, crown and reward of thy soldiers, deliver from the bonds of sin those singing thy Martyr’s praise.

To him, all earthly joys and the allurements of sin appeared as full of bitterness; disdaining them, he attained to the happiness of heaven.

Bravely he faced torture and bore it manfully: having shed his blood for thee, he now possesses thy eternal gifts.

Therefore, in humble prayer, we entreat thee, O most loving One, on this thy Martyr’s feast day, forgive the sins of thy servants.

O Jesus, born of the Virgin, eternal glory be to thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for all eternity. Amen.

V. Stephen saw the heavens opened. R. He saw and entered in: blessed is the man to whom the heavens were visible.

At the Magnif. Ant. Devout men buried Stephen * and made great mourning over him.

PRAYER

Vouchsafe unto us, we beseech thee, O Lord, so to strive after the holiness we venerate, as to love even our enemies; for we are celebrating the martyrdom of one whose dying prayer was to plead for the pardon of his very murderers, from thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns unto the endless ages of ages to come. Amen.

Commemoration of the Octave of Christmas

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the new birth in the flesh of thine only-begotten Son may set us free, who, because of the former bondage of our race, are still borne down under the yoke of sin. Through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour who lives and reigns with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christmas Day Vespers

Acts Chapter 6
The ordination of the seven deacons. The zeal of Stephen.
6:1 And in those days, the number of the disciples increasing, there arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews, for that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Greeks. . .So they called the Jews that were born and brought up in Greece.
6:2 Then the twelve, calling together the multitude of the disciples, said: It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
6:5 And the saying was liked by all the multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor, and Timon and Parmenas and icolas, a proselyte of Antioch.
6:6 These they set before the apostles: and they praying, imposed hands upon them.
6:7 And the word of the Lord increased: and the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. A great multitude also of the priests obeyed the faith.
6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people.
6:9 Now there arose some, of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with tephen.
6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke.
6:11 Then they suborned men to say they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.
6:12 And they stirred up the people and the ancients and the scribes. And running together, they took him and brought him to the council.
6:13 And they set up false witnesses, who said: This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place and the law.
6:14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the traditions which Moses delivered unto us.
6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking on him, saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel.
Acts Chapter 7
Stephen's speech before the council. His martyrdom.
7:1 Then the high priest said: Are these things so?
7:2 Who said: Ye men, brethren and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan.
7:3 And said to him: Go forth out of thy country and from thy kindred: and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
7:4 Then he went out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charan. And from thence, after his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell.
7:5 And he gave him no inheritance in it: no, not the pace of a foot. But he promised to give it him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
7:6 And God said to him: That his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and that they should bring them under bondage and treat them evil four hundred years.
7:7 And the nation which they shall serve will I judge (said the Lord): and after these things they shall go out and shall serve me in this place.
7:8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he begot Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day: and Isaac begot Jacob: and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.
7:9 And the patriarchs, through envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with him,
7:10 And delivered him out of all his tribulations: and he gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharao, the king of Egypt. And he appointed him governor over Egypt and over all his ouse.
7:11 Now there came a famine upon all Egypt and Chanaan, and great tribulation: and our fathers found no food.
7:12 But when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.
7:13 And at the second time, Joseph was known by his brethren: and his kindred was made known to Pharao.
7:14 And Joseph sending, called thither Jacob, his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.
7:15 So Jacob went down into Egypt. And he died, and our fathers.
7:16 And they were translated into Sichem and were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hemor, the son of Sichem.
7:17 And when the time of the promise drew near, which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt.
7:18 Till another king arose in Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
7:19 This same, dealing craftily with our race, afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their children, to the end they might not be kept alive.
7:20 At the same time was Moses born: and he was acceptable to God. Who was nourished three months in his father's house.
7:21 And when he was exposed, Pharao's daughter took him up and nourished him for her own son.
7:22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: and he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.
7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
7:24 And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him: and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.
7:25 And he thought that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them. But they understood it not.
7:26 And the day following, he shewed himself to them when they were at strife and would have reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, ye are brethren. Why hurt you one another?
7:27 But he that did the injury to his neighbour thrust him away, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us:
7:28 What! Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian?
7:29 And Moses fled upon this word: and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begot two sons.
7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him, in the desert of mount Sina, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.
7:31 And Moses seeing it wondered at the sight. And as he drew near to view it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:
7:32 I am the God of thy fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses being terrified durst not behold.
7:33 And the Lord said to him: Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place wherein thou standest is holy ground.
7:34 Seeing, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt: and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them. And now come: and I will send thee into Egypt.
7:35 This Moses, whom they refused, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge? Him God sent to be prince and redeemer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the urning bush.
7:36 He brought them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the desert, forty years.
7:37 This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel: A prophet shall God raise up to you of your own brethren, as myself. Him shall you hear.
7:38 This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sina and with our fathers. Who received the words of life to give unto us.
7:39 Whom our fathers would not obey: but thrust him away and in their hearts turned back into Egypt,
7:40 Saying to Aaron: Make us gods to go before us. For as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
7:41 And they made a calf in those days and offered sacrifices to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
7:42 And God turned and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the books of the prophets: Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years, in the desert, O ouse of Israel?
7:43 And you took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Rempham, figures which you made to adore them. And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
7:44 The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen.
7:45 Which also our fathers receiving, brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles: whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David,
Jesus. . .That is Josue, so called in Greek.
7:46 Who found grace before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
7:47 But Solomon built him a house,
7:48 Yet the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands, as the prophet saith:
Dwelleth not in houses, etc. . .That is, so as to stand in need of earthly dwellings, or to be contained, or circumscribed by them. Though, otherwise by his immense divinity, he is in our houses; and every where else; and Christ in his humanity dwelt in houses; and is now on our altars.
7:49 Heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool. What house will you build me (saith the Lord)? Or what is the place of my resting?
7:50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
7:51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost.  As your fathers did, so do you also.
7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One: of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers.
7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it.
7:54 Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart: and they gnashed with their teeth at him.
7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens pened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
7:56 And they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears and with one accord ran violently upon him.
7:57 And casting him forth without the city. they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.
7:58 And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
7:59 And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not his sin to their charge: And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his eath.

Douce Nuit - Sainte Nuit

and falling down they adored him - this word that is come to pass

Music of faith: Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem

You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.

Christmas prayer

We praise you, Lord Jesus Christ,
God-Saviour of men,
stupendously powerful with the Father;
we praise you, we invoke you, we pray to you; assist us with your pardon, with clemency give us your grace.

Awaken in our hearts desires deserving of fulfillment; suggest to us words that are worthy to be heard; grant that our actions may be worthy of blessing.

We beg you to renew your birth in human nature, penetrating us with your invisible Godhead
as you did in a unique way in Mary
and do now spiritually in the Church.

May you be conceived by our faith,
that a mind untouched by corruption may bring you forth, that the soul, ever confirmed by the power of the Most High, may offer you a dwelling place.

Be not born in us, but reveal yourself in us. Be truly for us the Emmanuel, God with us.

Deign to remain with us, to fight for us. Only so can we conquer.

Mozarabic liturgy

Christmas Eve Night Vigil

THE

OLD TESTAMENT

OF

THE HOLY CATHOLIC BIBLE.

GENESIS

THE

BOOK OF GENESIS.

GENESIS 1

CHAPTER I.

God createth Heaven and Earth, and all things therein, in six days.

1 In the *beginning God created heaven and earth.

2 *And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.

3 And God said: *Be light made.  And light was made.

4 And God saw the light that it was good: and he divided the light from the darkness.

5 And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night: and there was evening and morning one day.

6 And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 *And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament.  And it was so.

8 And God called the firmament, Heaven: and the evening and morning were the second day.

9 God also said: Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear.  And it was so done.

10 And God called the dry land, *Earth: and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas.  And God saw that it was good.

11 And he said: Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth.  And it was so done.

12 And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night,* and let them be for signs, and for seasons and for days and years:

15 To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth.  And it was so done.

16 And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars.

17 And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth.

18 And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness.  And God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and morning were the fourth day.

20 God also said: Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.

21 And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.

22 And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.

23 And the evening and morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds.  And it was so done.

25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth, after its kind.  And God saw that it was good.

26 And he said: *Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.

27 And God created man to his own image: *to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.**

28 And God blessed them, saying: *Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

29 And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat:*

30 And to all the beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon.  And it was so done.

31 *And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good.  And the evening and morning were the sixth day.

____________________

*

1:  A.M. 1, A.C. 4004.

2:  Acts xiv. 14. and xvii. 24.; Psal. xxxii. 6. and cxxxv. 5.; Eccli. xviii. 1.

3:  Heb. xi. 3.

7:  Psal. cxxxv. 5. and cxlviii. 4.; Jer. x. 12. and li. 15.

10:  Job xxxviii. 4.; Psal. xxxii. 7. and lxxxviii. 12. and cxxxix. 6.

14:  Ps. cxxxv. 7.

26:  Infra v. 1. and ix. 6.; 1 Cor. xi. 7.; Col. iii. 10.

27:  Wis. ii. 23.; Eccli. xvii. 1. --- ** Matt. xix. 4.

28:  Infra viii. 17. and ix. 1.

29:  Infra ix. 3.

31:  Eccli. xxxix. 21.; Mark vii. 37.

====================

THE

NEW TESTAMENT

OF

THE HOLY CATHOLIC BIBLE.

JOHN

THE

HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST,

ACCORDING TO S.  JOHN.

JOHN 1

CHAPTER I.

The divinity and incarnation of Christ.  John bears witness of him.  He begins to call his disciples.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

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

7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but was to bear witness of the light.

9 *That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.

10 He was in the world, *and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, he gave to them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.

13 Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of will of man, but of God.

14 *And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: we saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John beareth witness of him: and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke, He that shall come after me, is preferred before me, because he was before me.

16 *And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, grace and truth by Jesus Christ.

18 *No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him: What then?  Art thou Elias? and he said: I am not.  Art thou the prophet?  And he answered: No.

22 They said therefore to him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us?  What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said: *I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet, Isaias, said.

24 And they that were sent, were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?

26 John answered them, saying: *I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.

27 * The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.

28 These things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world.

30 This is he of  whom I said: After me cometh a man, who is preferred before me, because he was before me.

31 And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest  in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John gave testimony, saying: *I saw the Spirit coming down as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him.

33 And I knew him not; but he, who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thoiu shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw: and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.

35 Again, the following day, John stood, and two of his disciples.

36 And looking upon Jesus, walking, he saith: Behold the lamb of God.

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 And Jesus turning, and seeing them following him, saith to them: What seek you?  They said to him: Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, master) where dwellest thou?

39 He saith to them: Come and see.  They came, and saw where he abode, and they staid with him that day: now it was about the tenth hour.

40 And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.

41 He first findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias; which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus.  And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon, the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted, Peter.

43 On the following day he would go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip.  And Jesus saith to him: Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and said to him: We have found him of whom *Moses in the law, **and the prophets did write, Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth.

46 And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth?  Philip saith to him: Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him; Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.

48 Nathanael said to him: Whence knowest thou me?  Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel.

50 Jesus answered, and said to him: Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.

51 And he saith to him: Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

____________________

*

6:  Matt. iii. 1.; Mark i. 4.

9:  Infra iii. 19.

10:  Heb. xi. 3.

14:  Matt: i. 16.; Luke ii. 7.

16:  1 Tim. vi. 17.

18:  1 Tim. vi. 16.; 1 John iv. 12.

23:  Is. xl. 3.; Matt. iii. 3.; Mark i. 3.; Luke iii. 4.

26:  Matt. iii. 11.

27:  Mark i. 7.; Luke iii. 16.; Acts i. 5. and xi. 16. and xix. 4.

32:  Matt. iii. 16.; Mark i. 10.; Luke iii. 22.

45:  Gen. xlix 10.; Deut. xviii. 18. --- ** Is. xl. 10. and xiv. 8.; Jer. xxiii. 5.; Ezec. xxxiv. 23. and xxxvii. 24.; Dan. ix. 24. and 25.

====================

The Word through Whom all was created became flesh and dwelt among us.

Music of faith: Laylat Al-Milad, the night of Christmas. Arabic Carol

Music of faith: Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem

Music of faith: Mozarabic Chant: Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and Christmas Season Vespers

Titus, 3, 4-5

The goodness and kindness of God our Savior hath appeared: not by the works of justice, which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us.

Hymn

O Jesus, Redeemer of mankind, begotten of the Father before all ages, equal to him in glory.

O thou, light and splendor of the Father, thou, the eternal hope of all, listen to the prayers of thy servants throughout the world.
Remember, 0 Creator of the world, that at thy birth, thou didst assume a body like ours in the blessed womb of the Virgin.

This day, which recurs each year, attests that thou alone didst come forth from the bosom of the Father to be the salvation of the world.
This author of our new life, the stars, the earth, the sea and everything that is under the heavens greets with a new canticle.

And we, washed in the blessed stream of thy Precious Blood, we pay thee the tribute of a hymn on this thy birthday.
O Jesus, born of the Virgin, eternal glory be to thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Amen.

First Vespers (Christmas Eve)

Hebrews 1, 1-2

God, who diversely and in many ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

HYMN

O Jesus, Redeemer of mankind, begotten of the Father before all ages, equal to him in glory.

O thou, light and splendor of the Father, thou, the eternal hope of all, listen to the prayers of thy servants throughout the world.

Remember, O Creator of the world, that at thy birth, thou didst assume a body like ours in the blessed womb of the Virgin.

This day, which recurs each year, attests that thou alone didst come forth from the bosom of the Father to be the salvation of the world.

This author of our new life, the stars, the earth, the sea, and everything that is under the heavens greets with a new canticle.

And we, washed in the blessed stream of thy Precious Blood, we pay thee the tribute of a hymn on this thy birthday.

O Jesus, born of the Virgin, eternal glory be to thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for all eternity. Amen.

V. The Lord has made known, alleluia.
R. His salvation, alleluia.

At the Magnif. Ant. Today * Christ is born: today the Savior hath appeared: today the Angels sing on earth, the Archangels rejoice : today the just exult, saying: Glory be to God in the highest, alleluia.

Prayer

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the new birth in the flesh of thine only-begotten Son may set us free, who, because of the former bondage of our race, are still borne down under the yoke of sin. Through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour who lives and reigns with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christmas Day Vespers and throughout the Christmas Season from first Vespers on

Jesus, Redeemer of the world, Who, ere the earliest dawn of light,

Wast from eternal ages born, immense in glory as in might.

Immortal Hope of all mankind, in Whom the Father's face we see,

Hear Thou the prayers Thy people pour this day throughout the world to Thee.

Remember, O Creator Lord! That in the Virgin's sacred womb

Thou wast conceived, and of Her flesh didst our mortality assume.

This ever blest recurring day, its witness bears, that all alone,

From Thy own Father's bosom forth, to save the world Thou camest down.

O Day! to which the seas and sky, and earth and Heaven glad welcome sing;

O Day! which healed our misery, and brought on earth salvation's King.

We, too, O Lord, who have been cleansed in Thine own fount of Blood Divine,

Offer this tribute of sweet song on this blest natal day of Thine.

O Jesu, born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to Thee;

Praise to the Father infinite and Holy Ghost eternally. Amen.

Orient from on High

Music of faith: Jessye Norman - Gesu Bambino

The Twelve Prophecies of the Incarnation of the Messiah 'Isa al Maseeh, Our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God

Short Lessons

See this link: THE TWELVE PROPHECIES

The deacon now lays aside his festival robes and, with the subdeacon, attends the officiating priest who reads he following twelve prophecies in a low voice: while they are chanted by others of the clergy: 

The First Prophesy: Genesis 1: 1-31; 2: 1-2
The creation of the world. – The man created after the Image of God and His likeness had dominion over all living creatures.

Go to link above and read and pray them all. 

ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY

ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY Words by James Montgomery; Music by Henry Smart Angels from the realms of glory Wing your flight o'er all the earth. Ye who sang creation's story Now proclaim Messiah's birth. Chorus: Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King. Shepherds in the fields abiding, Watching o'er your flocks by night. God with man is now residing; Yonder shines the infant Light. Chorus Sages, leave your contemplations; Brighter visions beam afar. Seek the great desire of nations; Ye have seen Him natal star. Chorus Saints before the altar bending, Watching long in hope and fear, Suddenly the Lord descending In His temple shall appear.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Enya