THREE MASSES AND A BABY ...

Those responsible for the Liturgies of Christmas Day will recall these two aspects of the celebration – the different Masses celebrated throughout Christmas Day and the place of the Crib.

Dating back to at least the 4^th century, three Masses are offered:

              Midnight – the Mass of the Angels (or Angel’s Mass)

              Dawn – the Mass of the Shepherds

              Day – the Mass of the Word(or King’s Mass)

‘Common Worship’ provides three sets of Readings for the Day but gives no instruction as to how they are used.  However, the sequence of the Readings shows how they fit into the theme of the Masses:

Midnight:        Isaiah 9: 2-7

                             Ps. 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13

R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.

                             Titus 2: 11-14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I proclaim to you good news of great joy:
today a Saviour is born for us,
Christ the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

                             Luke 2: 1-14

Dawn:                Isaiah 62: 6-12

                            Ps.97: 1, 6, 11-12

R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.

                             Titus 3: 4-7

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
 and on earth peace among those whom he favours.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

                             Luke 2: 8-20

Day:                    Isaiah 52: 7-10

                             Ps. 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

                             Hebrews 1: 1-4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
For today a great light has come upon the earth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

                             John 1: 1-14

Then there’s the matter of what to do with the Baby …

It was St Francis of Assisi who ‘invented’ the first Christmas Crib at Greccio in c.1223.  Thinking people didn’t realise the enormity of God entering human flesh, he invited the villagers of Greccio to Mass in the middle of the night and, beneath the altar, placed a crib containing the image of a baby (the bambino).  As the priest uttered the words of Institution (‘This is my body … my blood … ‘) over the wafers and chalice on the altar, so the bambino was seen to cry and, from that time onwards, it became the custom to place a bambino on a small cushion on the altar, in place of the small crucifix lying before the gaze of the priest, at Midnight Mass.  After Mass, it is processed to the Crib where prayers are offered – and, for this one day, all genuflect to the image as they pass.

The Crib was never meant ‘for the children’ but adults, and whilst many will now have children’s Crib Services, the Blessing needs to take place at Mass.  Like others, the Crib Service at my church was immensely popular but I would always tell the children that because Christ was born during the night we would be blessing the Crib at midnight, and many came back with their parents on that one, most holy, night.

Finally, the Kings will have begun their journey and, wherever possible, it’s a good custom to show the three moving along window ledges (for example) on the days between Christmas and Epiphany.