Is a vital and happy follow-up message from Christmas, today's Mass establishes our dignity as "sons" and "heirs" of God, Whom we can call "Father" because of "His Son, made of a woman," Mary (Epistle).

Jesus actually "leapt down from heaven...with beauty...with strength" (Introit) to "direct our actions" in His Name (Prayer). Hence, the Gradual offers our "good word" of gratitude.

The Gospel prophecy that Jesus is "a sign which will be contradicted" indicates what we also may expect as "Sons of God" yet it strengthens our hope, that if we but live with Mary at "Nazareth," then the last words of the Gospel concerning Jesus may also be applied to us, "the Child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom."

The Offertory, Secret, and Postcommunion speak of final victory because "they are dead who sought the life of the Child" (Communion).

St. John Ap. and Evang., the Beloved Disciple, is commemorated in the Mass. Traditionally, Wine may be blessed for the faithful today in commemoration of St. John who drank a cup of poisoned wine without harm, using formula in the Roman Ritual.

Today, I and II Lessons, with their responsories, are taken from I Nocturn of the Nativity, and the III Lesson is the homily concerning the day’s Gospel.

Mass for the Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity will take place today at Holywell. Click here for details.

From Divine Intimacy
Father Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

The Saviour has appeared!

God is charity: He has loved us with an everlasting love! ‘I think God must have said to Himself: Man does not love Me because he does not see Me; I will show Myself to him and thus make him love Me. God’s love for man was very great, and had been great from all eternity, but this love had not yet become visible ... Then, it really appeared; the Son of God let Himself be seen as a tiny Babe in a stable, lying on a little straw.’ (St. Alphonsus) This is the mystery of the Nativity! This is St. Paul’s exultant cry: ‘The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men... The goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared.’ Titus 2:11 (Epistle 1st and 2nd Masses: Tit. 2: 11-15). These are the blessed tidings ‘of great joy’ brought by the Angel to the shepherds; ‘This day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord!’ Lk. 2:11 (Gospel 1st Mass: Lk. 2:1-14) The texts is today’s liturgy, following each other in tones of increasing exultation, sing the praises of the sweet Child Jesus, the Word made Man, living and breathing among us: ‘Whom have you seen, O Shepherds? We saw the new-born Child and choirs of angels loudly praising the Lord.’ (Roman Breviary). ‘Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth exult in the presence of the Lord! (Roman Missal). Our God is here in the midst of us, He has become one of us. ‘A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us... His name is Admirable, God, Prince of peace, Father of the world to come!... Rejoice, O daughter of Sion, sing, O daughter of Jerusalem... Rejoice, ye inhabitants of the earth! Come, ye nations, adore the Lord! (Roman Breviary). Come ! Come, adore, listen, and rejoice! Jesus, the Word of the Father, speaks to us a wonderful word: God loves You!’

The three Christmas Masses place before us a majestic picture: the touching descriptions of the birth of Jesus as a man alternates with the sublime one of the eternal birth of the Word in the bosom of the Father. However, this threefold birth is but one single manifestation of God who is Charity. No one on earth could know God’s love but the Word, who is in the bosom of the Father, knows it and can reveal it to us. The Word was made flesh and has shown to us the love of God. Through the Word, God’s incomprehensible, invisible charity is made manifest and tangible in the sweet little Babe, who from the manger holds out His arms to us. Today’s Preface solemnly declares it: ‘O eternal God, because of the mystery of the Word made flesh, the light of Thy glory hath shone anew upon the eyes of our mind: that while we acknowledge Him to be God visible, He May draw us to the love of things invisible.’ Yes, this ‘Child, wrapped in swadddling clothes and laid in a manger’ (cf. Lk. 2:12) is our God, who, for us, has made Himself visible: our God, who shows us in the most concrete way His infinite charity. One cannot contemplate little Jesus without being captivated and enraptured by the infinite love which has given Him to us. The Infant Jesus reveals to us God’s love, He manifests it in the clearest, most touching way. St. Paul says in the Epistle of Third Mass (Heb. 1:1-12)|: ‘God, in these days hath spoken to us by His Son... the brightness of His glory, and the figure of His substance.’ Heb. 1:1-3 Jesus, the Incarnate Word, in His silence as a helpless Child, speaks to us and reveals to us the substance of God: His Charity.

A Christmas message, given by the Rt. Rev. Peter Brignall, the Bishop of Wrexham can be heard by clicking below:

Call together the nations, tell it among the people and say: Behold our Saviour comes!’ The message becomes more and more urgent: in a few days, the Word of God made flesh will show himself to the
world. We must hasten our preparations and make our hearts worthy of Him.

The incarnation of the Word is the greatest proof of God’s infinite love for men; our liturgy very appropriately recalls to our mind the wonderful words: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore have I drawn you, taking pity on you.’ (Jer 31,3) Yes, God has loved man from all eternity, and in order to draw him to himself. He did not hesitate to send ‘His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.’ (Rom 8,3) With hearts full of love, we must run to meet Love who is about to appear ‘incarnate’ in the Infant Jesus. May it be a love that is faithful in great things as well as in small, an ingenious love that is always seeking opportunities to repay God’s infinite love. ‘Love is repaid by love!’ this is the motto which has made saints, and spurred a multitude of souls to greater generosity.

With this love prepare for Christmas, be in this love faithful, for as St Paul says in the epistle, (1 Cor 4, 1-5), ‘What we desire is that everyone may be found faithful.’

From LifesiteNews:
ROME, 14 December 2015

Pope Francis’ Council of 9 advisory cardinals, known as the “C9,” held their twelfth meeting with the Holy Father from December 10-12, where they discussed, among other matters, Francis’ call to “decentralize” the Church. According to Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Council members emphasized the importance of the Holy Father’s October 17 discourse, on the occasion of the Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, where he extensively developed the theme of “synodality,” but also recalled the importance of proceeding with a healthy decentralisation.

The pope said at the time he “felt the need to proceed in a healthy ‘decentralization'” of power to the “Episcopal Conferences.” “We must reflect on realizing even more through these bodies,” he said, because the “hope of the Council that such bodies would help increase the spirit of episcopal collegiality has not yet been fully realized.”

At this week's meeting, the Vatican spokesman noted, the Council remarked on "the need to further explore the meaning of this discourse and its importance in the work of reforming the Curia, and agreed to dedicate a specific session to this during the next meeting in February 2016.”
Towards the beginning of his pontificate Francis had already called for a “conversion of the papacy” in Evangelii Gaudium and stated that “a juridical status of episcopal conferences which would see them as subjects of specific attributions, including genuine doctrinal authority, has not yet been sufficiently elaborated.”

The demand for devolution of power, including “genuine doctrinal authority” was voiced at the Ordinary Synod by those who reject Catholic teaching on human sexuality. Abbot Jeremias Schroder, who attended the synod as a representative of the Union of Superior Generals, said that both “the social acceptance of homosexuality” and the manner of dealing with “divorced and remarried persons” were examples “where bishops conferences should be allowed to formulate pastoral responses that are in tune with what can be preached and announced and lived in a different context.” The abbot alleged that such delegation was supported by a majority of the Synod fathers.

Reinhard Cardinal Marx, who is both Archbishop of Munich and Freising and a member of Pope Francis’ council of nine cardinals, has also called for more delegation to bishops’ conferences.

“We are not just a subsidiary of Rome,” Cardinal Marx said earlier this year. “Each episcopal conference is responsible for the pastoral care in their culture and has to proclaim the Gospel in its own unique way. We cannot wait until a synod states something, as we have to carry out marriage and family ministry here.”

Remarkable news is brought to readers of Dr Joseph Shaw's blog on the ever increasing number of Masses said over Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. You can view the full listing here.

By my reckoning, every diocese in England and Wales is represented except Wrexham and Menevia.

As depressing as this may be for those in Wrexham, I have to point out that in some parts of the diocese this coming Christmas, there is an an ever increasing challenge to make sure a Novus Ordo Mass is celebrated. Indeed in my own parish for the first time since ... well no one can remember ... Midnight Mass will not be celebrated due to there being no priest available and Mass will only be celebrated on Christmas Day through the kindness of a retired priest.

Yes, be pleased with the picture for England and Wales and say a little prayer of thanksgiving. However, please add to those prayers one for an increase in priests for those dioceses where the situation remains bleak.

This post is made in the hope that some passing visitors from elsewhere may be willing to consider taking up the key role of Local LMS Representative in their diocese.

There are a number of areas in England and Wales where there is no LMS representation. This often means that opportunities to organise more Masses according to the Traditional Rite are missed and perhaps existing Masses lack the practical support and promotion that the LMS can give.

I repost below the information from the LMS website on being a rep and the vacancies that are currently to be filled. Please add our neighbours in Shrewsbury to that list, although Shrewsbury isn't mentioned, there is no rep bar Stefano Mazzeo who looks after Ss Peter & Paul and St Philomena at New Brighton.

Local Representatives and Assistant Local Representatives -
General Information

The role of Local Representative for the Latin Mass SocietyThe Latin Mass Society exists to promote the Church's traditional liturgy: the Extraordinary Form (EF) of Mass or Vetus Ordo. Our network of Reps are the backbone of our organisation, doing our work on the ground all over England and Wales.

The Rep's task can take a range of forms according to local circumstances. At a minimum he or she keeps in touch with priests in the area who are saying the EF, keeps the Office informed each quarter of forthcoming Masses, writes a short report for our magazine Mass of Ages, and keeps local members informed of what is happening.

The Rep should also be as available as possible to offer practical assistance to priests who want to start saying the EF, or to expand what they are doing in this respect. This may simply be a matter of putting the priest in touch with priests who can offer training or advice, or local servers and singers, referring him to the Office for more specialised advice, and making available vestments and other items belonging to the LMS which are needed and are available.

Where appropriate, many Reps organise regular or occasional EF Masses, particularly for pilgrimages to local shrines, occasional Masses in the Cathedral, and the like.

If demands on a Rep increase it is possible to appoint an Assistant Rep and/or divide the area covered with another Rep.

In all the Rep's work, he or she will have the practical, financial, and moral support of the Office, the Committee and Officers, other Reps, and the local members.

Becoming a Local Representative
If you are saddened by the state of the Church and want to do something practical to help rebuild the orthodox Faith, then becoming a Local Representative of the LMS is a very positive and active way in which you can make a difference as a layman. You may never have done this kind of work before. What we are looking for are men and women who are committed to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, who are comfortable talking to others who may not always share our enthusiasm for the Traditional Mass, who are determined and who have a sense of humour.

We are currently looking for a number of people to act as either full Local Representatives or as Assistant Local Representatives in different parts of England and Wales (see below). If you are interested in volunteering for any of these positions, or if you would like more information, phone the LMS Office (020 7404 7284) and ask to speak to Stephen Moseling for an informal chat. You can email if you prefer on [email protected]

1. Birmingham archdiocese - Warwickshire
2. Cardiff archdiocese - Cardiff city (assistant)
3. Hallam diocese - Derbyshire (assistant)
4. Middlesbrough diocese - North Yorkshire/Teesside (assistant)
5. Plymouth diocese - Devon
6. Portsmouth diocese - Jersey, Channel Islands