December 24
Advent Feria
December 24 is observed in the Roman Catholic Church as the final day of Advent, a period of expectant preparation leading up to the solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. This day is known as an Advent feria, meaning that it has no obligatory feast assigned but is marked by the liturgical prayers and readings proper to this special time. The focus of the Church on December 24 is marked anticipation—the faithful are encouraged to enter deeply into a spirit of reflection, prayer, and longing for the coming of Christ. Traditionally, this day includes the final O Antiphon (“O Emmanuel”) in the Liturgy of the Hours, invoking Jesus as 'God with us.' The liturgy of the Mass on this day utilizes violet vestments, indicating the penitential and preparatory nature of Advent. In many Catholic traditions, December 24 remains a day of quiet until the celebration of Masses in the evening, which mark the beginning of the joyous Christmas season. The expectation gradually shifts toward the celebration of Christ’s birth, but the daylight hours themselves still hold the character of Advent longing and hope.
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Reading2 S 7, 1-5.8b-12.14a.16
King David finally dwelt in his house.
The Lord had granted him peace
by delivering him from all the enemies surrounding him.
Then the king said to the prophet Nathan:
“Look! I live in a house of cedar,
and the ark of God dwells under a tent of cloth!”
Nathan replied to the king:
“Whatever you intend to do,
do it,
for the Lord is with you.”
But that night,
the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
“Go and say to my servant David:
Thus says the Lord:
Is it you who will build me a house
for me to live in?
It is I who took you from the pasture,
from behind the flock,
so that you would be the leader of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
I have defeated all your enemies before you.
I have made you a name as great
as that of the greatest on earth.
I will establish my people Israel in this place,
I will plant them there, they will settle there
and will tremble no more,
and the wicked will no longer humiliate them,
as they did in the past,
since the day I appointed judges
to lead my people Israel.
Yes, I have given you peace
by delivering you from all your enemies.
The Lord announces to you
that he himself will make you a house.
When your days are fulfilled
and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up from your descendants a successor,
who will be born of you,
and I will make his kingship firm.
I will be a father to him;
and he will be a son to me.
Your house and your kingship will stand firm forever before me,
your throne will be steady forever.”
– The word of the Lord.
Psalm88 (89), 2-3, 4-5, 27.29
The love of the Lord, I will sing forever;
your faithfulness, I will declare from age to age.
I say: Your love is built to last forever;
your faithfulness is more steadfast than the heavens.
“With my chosen one I have made a covenant,
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty forever,
I will build your throne for generations to come.
“He will say to me: You are my Father,
my God, my rock and my salvation!
Forever I will keep my love for him,
my covenant with him will be faithful.”
GospelLc 1, 67-79
At that time,
at the birth of John the Baptist,
Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit
and spoke these prophetic words:
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who visits and redeems his people.
He has raised up a saving strength for us
in the house of David, his servant,
as he promised through the mouth of his holy ones,
through his prophets, since ancient times:
salvation from our enemies,
from the hand of all who oppress us,
love he shows to our fathers,
memory of his holy covenant;
the oath sworn to our father Abraham
to grant us without fear,
so that, delivered from the hand of our enemies,
we might serve him in holiness and righteousness,
in his presence, all our days.
You too, little child, will be called
prophet of the Most High;
you will go before, in the presence of the Lord,
to prepare his ways,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins,
thanks to the tenderness and love of our God,
when the Dayspring from on high visits us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet
into the way of peace.”
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org