Christmas Eve & Day, Year C

Proper II
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20

Isaiah 62:6-12

62:6 Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest,

62:7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout the earth.

62:8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink the wine for which you have labored;

62:9 but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather it shall drink it in my holy courts.

62:10 Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples.

62:11 The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, "See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."

62:12 They shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD"; and you shall be called, "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken."

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Psalm 97

97:1 The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

97:3 Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.

97:4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

97:6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

97:7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.

97:8 Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.

97:9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

97:10 The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

97:11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

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Titus 3:4-7

3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

3:5 he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

3:6 This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

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Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2:2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria.

2:3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

2:5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

2:6 And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

2:7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

2:8 And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

2:9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

2:10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;

2:11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

2:12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

2:15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

2:16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

2:17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

2:18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

2:19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

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