Liturgical Information
Second Sunday after the Nativity (ABC)

For places where the Solemnity of the Epiphany is always celebrated on January 6

Liturgical Color: White

Themes: wisdom, mystery of the Word, adopted children of God, Word made flesh

Entrance Antiphon [Introit]:

When a profound silence covered all things
and night was in the middle of its course,
your all-powerful Word, O Lord, bounded from heaven's royal throne. Wis 18:14-15 [Roman Missal]

Dum medium silentium tenerent omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet, omnipotens sermo tuus, Domine, de cælis a regalibus sedibus venit.
Ps. Dmonius regnavit, decorens indutus est: indutus est Dominus fortitudinem, et præcinxit se. [Graduale Romanum, p.53]

One Mass setting is offered in the Graduale simplex for use at any of the Masses of Christmas.
Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu: ego hodie genuite. [Graduale simplex, p.64]
Verses of Psalm 2 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Collect:

Al-mighty ever-living God
splendor of faithful souls,

gra-ciously be pleased to fill the world with your glory,
and show yourself to all peoples by the radiance of your light.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Ho-ly Spirit,
God, for ev-er and ev-er. A-men.

Lectionary Readings:

Sirach 24:1-2, 8-12 [The wisdom of God lives in his people.]
Psalm 147:12-13 / 14-15 / 19-20 [R. The Word of God became man and lived among us. /Jn 1:4]
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 [God destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ. /v.5]
Gospel Verse: [Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles; Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world!]
John 1:1-18 [The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. /v.14]

Offertory Antiphon:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; and your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:2,5 **
Verses of Psalm 96 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Benedic anima mea Domino, et noli oblivisci omnes retributiones eius: et renovabitur, sicut aquilæ, iuventus tua. [Graduale Romanum, p.362]

Benedic anima mea Domino, et noli oblivisci omnes retributiones eius: et renovabitur, sicut aquilæ, iuventus tua. [Gregorian Missal, p.584/605]

One Mass setting is offered in the Graduale simplex for use at any of the Masses of Christmas.
Lætentur cæli et exsultet terra ante faciem Domini, quoniam venit. [Graduale simplex, p.67]
Verses of Psalm 96 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Prayer over the Offerings:

Sanc-tify, O Lord, the offerings we make
on the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son,

for by it you show us the way of truth
and promise the life of the heav- en-ly Kingdom.

Through Christ our Lord. A-men.

Preface III of the Nativity of the Lord: [The exchange in the Incarnation of the Word]

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For through him the holy exchange that restores our life
has shone forth today in splendor:
when our frailty is assumed by your Word
not only does human mortality receive unending honor
but by this wondrous union we, too, are made eternal.

And so, in company with the choirs of Angels,
we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…

Communion Antiphon:

To all who would accept him, he gave the power to become children of God. Jn 1:12 [Roman Missal]

Domine Dominus noster, quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra. Psalm 8:2ab [Graduale Romanum, p.357]
Psalm 8:2c,3,4,5,6-7a,7b-8,9 can also be sung between repetitions of this antiphon.

Domine Dominus noster, quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra. Psalm 8:2ab [Gregorian Missal, p.575/595]

One Mass setting is offered in the Graduale simplex for use at any of the Masses of Christmas.
Viderunt termini terræ salutare Dei nostri. [Graduale simplex, p.68]
Verses of Psalm 98 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Prayer after Communion:

Lord our God, we humbly ask you,
that, through the working of this myste-ry,

our offenses may be cleansed
and our just de-sires ful-filled.

Through Christ our Lord. A-men.

Solemn Blessing: [2. The Nativity of the Lord]

May the God of infinite goodness,
who by the Incarnation of his Son has driven darkness from the world
and by that glorious Birth has illumined this most holy night,
drive far from you the darkness of vice
and illumine your hearts with the light of virtue.
Amen.

May God, who willed that the great joy
of his Son's saving Birth
be announced to shepherds by the Angel,
fill your minds with the gladness he gives
and make you heralds of his Gospel.
Amen.

And may God, who by the Incarnation
brought together the earthly and heavenly realm,
fill you with the gift of his peace and favor
and make you sharers with the Church in heaven.
Amen.

** An official, approved English translation of the Offertory Antiphon has never been published. The offertory antiphon used here is from the New American Bible, a Scripture translation approved for liturgical use in the United States.

The English translation of the Entrance Antiphon [Introit], Collect, Psalm Refrain, Gospel Verse, Prayer over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, and Prayer after Communion from The Roman Missal, © Copyright 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corp. All rights reserved.

Liturgical InformationSecond Sunday after the Nativity (ABC)