[Rank]
In Vigilia Nativitatis Domini;;Duplex I classis;;6.1

[Rule]
9 lectiones
Matins simplex
Psalmi Dominica
Antiphonas horas 

[Invit]
This day ye shall know that the Lord cometh * and in the morning, then ye shall see His glory.

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Isaias
!Isa 35:1-7
1 The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness~
shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily.
2 It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the~
glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see~
the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God.
3 Strengthen ye the feeble hands, and confirm the weak knees.
4 Say to the fainthearted: Take courage, and fear not: behold your God will~
bring the revenge of recompense: God himself will come and will save you.
5 Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be~
unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall be~
free: for waters are broken out in the desert, and streams in the wilderness.
7 And that which was dry land, shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs~
of water. 

[Responsory1]
R. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, call together the nations, tell it out among the~
people, and say
* Behold, God our Saviour cometh.
V. Tell it out and make it to be heard; speak aloud and cry
R. Behold, God our Saviour cometh.

[Lectio2]
!Isa 35:7-10
7 In the dens where dragons dwell before, shall rise up the verdure of~
the reed and the bulrush.
8 And a path and a way shall be there, and it shall be called the holy way: the~
unclean shall not pass over it, and this shall be unto you a straight way, so~
that fools shall not err therein.
9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any mischievous beast go up by it, nor be~
found there: but they shall walk there that shall be delivered.
10 And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and shall come into Sion with~
praise, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and~
gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

[Responsory2]
R. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the law-giver from his loins,~
until he that shall be sent cometh.
* And unto him shall the longing of the Gentiles be.
V. J His eyes shall be bright with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
R. And unto him shall the desire of the Gentiles be.

[Lectio3]
!Isa 41:1-4
1 LET the islands keep silence before me, and the nations take new strength: let~
them come near, and then speak, let us come near to judgment together.
2 Who hath raised up the just one from the east, hath called him to follow him?~
he shall give the nations in his sight, and he shall rule over kings: he shall~
give them as the dust to his sword, as stubble driven by the wind, to his bow.
3 He shall pursue them, he shall pass in peace, no path shall appear after his~
feet.
4 Who hath wrought and done these things, calling the generations from the~
beginning? I the Lord, I am the first and the last.

[Responsory3]
R. I must decrease, but He must increase He it is Who, coming after me is~
preferred before me
* Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
V. I baptize you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
R. Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
&Gloria
R. Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of Pope St Leo (the Great,)
!1st on the December Fast, and almsgiving.
Dearly beloved brethren, if we study attentively the history of the creation of~
our race, we shall find that man was made in the image of God, that his ways~
also might be an imitation of the ways of his Maker. This is the natural, real,~
and highest dignity to which we are capable of attaining, that the goodness of~
the Divine nature should have a reflection in us, as in a glass. As a mean of~
reaching this dignity, we are daily offered the grace of our Saviour, for as in~
the first Adam all men are fallen, so in the Second Adam can all men be raised~
up again (i Cor. xv. 22).

[Responsory4]
R. Unto us shall a Child be born, and His name shall be called the Mighty God.
* He shall sit upon the throne of His father David, and shall reign, and the~
government shall be upon His shoulder.
V. In Him shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed; all nations shall~
serve Him.
R. He shall sit upon the throne of His father David, and shall reign, and the~
government shall be upon His shoulder.

[Lectio5]
Our restoration from the consequences of Adam's fall is sheer mercy of God, and~
nothing else; we should not have loved Him unless He had first loved us, (1 John~
iv. 19,) and scattered the darkness of our ignorance by the light of His truth.~
This the Lord promised by the mouth of Isaiah, where He saith, (Isa. xlii. 16,) I~
will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and I will lead them in paths~
that they have not known I will make darkness light before them, and crooked~
things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them. And~
again, (Isa. lxv. 1, 2; Rom. x. 20,) I was found of them that sought Me not; I~
was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me.

[Responsory5]
R. Behold, the fulness of the time is come, wherein God hath sent forth His Son~
into the world, born of a Virgin, made under the law
* To redeem them that were under the law.
V. God, for His great love wherewith He loved us, hath sent His own Son in~
the likeness of sinful flesh.
R. To redeem them that were under the law.

[Lectio6]
And we know from the Apostle John how God fulfilled His promise, (1 John v. 20.)~
We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we~
may know Him That is True, and be in Him That is True, even in His Son. And~
again, (iv. 19,) Let us therefore love God, because He first loved us. For His~
great love then wherewith he hath loved us, (Eph. ii. 4,) God reneweth His~
likeness in us. And, moreover, in order that He may find in us the reflection of~
His goodness, He giveth us that whereby to work along with Himself, (Who worketh~
all in all,) lighting, as it were, candles in our dark minds, and kindling in us~
the fire of His love, to make us love not Himself only, but likewise, in Him,~
whatsoever He loveth.

[Responsory6]
R. O virgin of Israel, turn again to thy cities.
* How long wilt thou go about sorrowing? Thou shalt bring forth the Lord thy~
Saviour, a new offering in the earth; men shall walk in paths of salvation.
V. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with lovingkindness~
have I drawn thee.
R. How long wilt thou go about sorrowing? Thou shalt bring forth the Lord thy~
Saviour, a new offering in the earth.
&Gloria
R. Men shall walk in paths of salvation.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 1:18-21
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she~
was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. And so on.
_
Homily by St Jerome, Priest (at Bethlehem,)
!Book of Commentaries, on Matth. i.
Why was the Lord conceived of an espoused virgin rather than of a free? First,~
for the sake of the genealogy of Mary, which we have obtained by that of Joseph.~
Secondly, because she was thus saved from being stoned by the Jews as an~
adulteress. Thirdly, that Himself and His mother might have a guardian on their~
journey into Egypt. To these, Ignatius, the martyr of Antioch, has added a~
fourth reason namely, that the birth might take place unknown to the devil,~
who would naturally suppose that Mary had conceived by Joseph.

[Responsory7]
R. Sanctify yourselves to-day, and be ready for on the morrow ye shall see
* The majesty of God upon you.
V. This day ye shall know that the Lord cometh, and in the morning, then ye~
shall see
R. The majesty of God upon you.

[Lectio8]
Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. She~
was found, that is, by Joseph, but by no one else. He had already almost an~
husband's privilege to know all that concerned her. Before they came together.~
This doth not imply that they ever did come together the Scripture merely~
showeth the absolute fact that up to this time they had not done so.

[Responsory8]
R. Stand still, and ye shall see the help of the Lord with you O Judah and~
Jerusalem, fear not.
* To-morrow ye shall go out, and the Lord will be with you.
V. Sanctify yourselves, O ye children of Israel, and be ready.
R. To-morrow ye shall go out, and the Lord will be with you.

[Lectio9]
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public~
example, was minded to put her away privily. If any man be joined to a~
fornicatress they become one body; and according to the law they that are privy~
to a crime are thereby guilty. How then can it be that Joseph is described as a~
just man, at the very time he was compounding the criminality of his espoused?~
It must have been that he knew her to be pure, and yet understood not the~
mystery of her pregnancy, but, while he wondered at that which had happened, was~
willing to hold his peace.

[Responsory9]
R. Sanctify yourselves, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord for on the~
morrow the Lord will come down.
* And will take away from you all sickness. 
V. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away, and the Saviour of~
the world will be our King.
R. And will take away from you all sickness.
&Gloria
R. And will take away from you all sickness.

[Ant Laudes]
O Judah and Jerusalem, * fear not: to-morrow ye shall go out, and the Lord will be with you.
This day ye shall know * that the Lord cometh and in the morning, then ye shall see His glory.
On the morrow * the sins of the earth shall be washed away, and the Saviour of the world will be our King.
The Lord cometh! * Go ye out to meet Him, and say How great is His dominion, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. He is the Mighty God, the Ruler, the Prince of Peace, Alleluia!
On the morrow * ye shall be saved, saith the Lord God of hosts.

[Capitulum Laudes]
!Rom 1:1-3
v. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the~
gospel of God,Which he had promised before, by his prophets, in the holy~
scriptures,Concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David,~
according to the flesh
$Deo gratias

[Versum 2]
V. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away.
R. And the Saviour of the world will be our King.

[Ant 2]
The Saviour of the world * shall rise like the sun, and come down into the womb of~
the Virgin as the showers upon the grass. Alleluia.

[Oratio]
God, who gladden us by the annual expectation of our redemption, grant that we~
who now joyfully welcome thy Only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also,~
without fear, behold him coming as our Judge
$Qui tecum

[Commemoratio 2]
!De Dominica
Ant. Hail, Mary, full of grace, * the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among~
women. Alleluia.
_
V. A voice of one crying in the wilderness
R. Make straight his paths.
_
$Oremus
Stir up, O Lord, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great~
might succour us, that whereas through our sins and wickedness we are sore let~
and hindered, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us
$Qui vivis

[Lectio Prima]
!Rom 1:5-6
v. By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in~
all nations, for his name;Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ:

[Capitulum Tertia]
!Rom 1:1-3
v. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the~
gospel of God,Which he had promised before, by his prophets, in the holy~
scriptures,Concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David,~
according to the flesh
$Deo gratias

[Responsory Tertia]
R.br. This day ye shall know that the Lord cometh.
R. This day ye shall know that the Lord cometh.
V. And in the morning, then ye shall see His glory.
R. That the Lord cometh.
&Gloria
R. This day ye shall know that the Lord cometh.
_
V. Stand ye still.
R. And ye shall see the salvation of the Lord with you.

[Capitulum Sexta]
!Rom 1:4
v. Who was predestinated the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of~
sanctification, by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead
$Deo gratias

[Responsory Sexta]
R.br. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away.
R. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away.
V. And the Saviour of the world will be our King.
R. The sins of the earth shall be washed away.
&Gloria
R. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away.
_
V. On the morrow ye shall be saved.
R. Saith the Lord God of hosts.

[Capitulum Nona]
!Rom 1:5-6
v. By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in~
all nations, for his name;Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ
$Deo gratias

[Responsory Nona]
R.br. On the morrow ye shall be saved.
R. On the morrow ye shall be saved.
V. Saith the Lord God of hosts.
R. Ye shall be saved.
&Gloria
R. On the morrow ye shall be saved.
_
V. On the morrow the sins of the earth shall be washed away.
R. And the Saviour of the world will be our King. Prayer as at Lauds.
