The Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Today is the Vigil of the Feast of the Nativity. As it falls on a Sunday, it is not a day of fast and abstinence, as it would be normally. The opening of the Roman Martyrolgy for 25 December, read this morning at Prime, is one of the most moving pieces of literature, outside of Holy Scripture in the world, so I have it posted in full, in the preceding post. May all my readers have a very Blessed and Happy Christmas Season!

The Collect from the Roman Breviary:

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly Expectation of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ: grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge. Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

The Proper Lessons may be found here.

The Propers of the Mass of the Day, which supercedes the IVth Sunday of Advent this year, may be found here.