It’s the Feast of The Nativity of the Lord, 1st Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “The Shepherds at the Manger”, a preview of the Sermon: “Christmas Day: Compulsory Rejoicing”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
One of the most beautiful and easily overlooked traditions of the Church is the celebration of three distinct Masses on Christmas Day. Far from being a duplication, these Masses unfold the mystery of the Nativity in stages, allowing the faithful to enter more deeply into what it means that God has become man. This custom took shape in Rome during the early centuries and has been preserved in the traditional Roman liturgy as a kind of theological meditation spread across time.
The first Mass is celebrated at midnight. It is the most intimate of the three, drawing the Church into the stillness of Bethlehem. The liturgy is hushed and contemplative, focused on the eternal Word entering the world quietly, almost unnoticed. The Gospel tells of the birth itself, of Mary wrapping the Child in swaddling clothes and laying Him in a manger. In this Mass, the emphasis is on the mystery of divine humility. God comes in darkness, not spectacle. Heaven touches earth while most of the world sleeps.
The second Mass is celebrated at dawn, traditionally called the Shepherds’ Mass. Its tone is gentler and more joyful. The Church now looks outward from the cave to the fields, where ordinary men receive extraordinary news. The Gospel recounts the angels’ message and the shepherds’ haste to find the Child. This Mass highlights revelation. Christ is made known, not to the powerful, but to the watchful and the poor. Light begins to spread, and joy takes root in human hearts.
The third Mass is celebrated during the day and carries a more triumphant character. Its Gospel does not return to Bethlehem at all, but opens with the soaring prologue of Saint John: “In the beginning was the Word.” Here the Church contemplates not the Child alone, but the eternal Son who exists before all ages and now dwells among us. The focus shifts from...
