In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit             Once upon a time the devil attended Divine Service in a church where it was customary in either the Lord’s Prayer or in the Creed to sing: Et homo factus est, that is, “God’s Son has become man.” […]

Once upon a time the devil attended Mass in a church where it was customary in either the Lord’s Prayer or in the Creed to sing: Et homo factus est, that is, “God’s Son has become a human being.” While they were singing this, the people just remained standing and did not kneel down. The […]

Both from 1879. First Christmas Day and Third Christmas Day.

And so the promise first given to Ahaz, fulfilled in the Christmas Story, and proclaimed in the Te Deum is richest and purest Gospel for us this Christmas Day and every day. Through the eternal Kingship of the One who did not abhor the Virgin’s womb, we are members of the kingdom of God, faithful heirs and subjects of the One who opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Perhaps St. John put it best in the first chapter of His Gospel: “But as many as received [Jesus], to them [God] gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (1:12-23). It sounds like the virgin birth of our Lord, doesn’t it? Our spiritual birth through Holy Baptism was not of human origin, but through the grace of God. Through our new birth from God the Father and Virgin Mother Church, we stand before God the Father as if we were the very Son of God Himself: holy and righteous in His sight. We hear His word of absolution, spoken from our heavenly Father to His sons and daughters. We sit at table with Him and eat His Son’s true body and blood. We feast with Him, even to eternity. And it’s all possible through Him “who became flesh and dwelt among us . . . full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). INJ. Amen.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD Christmas, the Mass of Christ’s Day, is the only feast of the year for which two Services are appointed and two sets of Propers are provided. The set of Propers for the Early Service has been spoken of as historic, the set for the Later Service as dogmatic. Whether we […]