Christmas

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." - Matthew 1:23

The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which, in 2027, is on January 10. Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. During the Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is the feast of the Incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh. The Christmas season is a time to reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him, including the fact that Christ was born to die for us.

The Church has four Masses for Christmas – the vigil, Mass at night (traditionally at midnight), Mass at dawn, and Mass during the day.  Each holds something special for us. At the vigil, we hear of Jesus's human lineage, generation by generation.  At night, we hear of Christ's birth and the angels' joyous proclamation. The Gospel during the Mass at dawn tells of the visit of the shepherds. And the Mass on Christmas Day, taken from the prologue to the Gospel of John, ties the Incarnation to the beginning and creation: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."