Wednesday, 31 December 2025 The Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord.

Wednesday, 31 December 2025
The Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord.
Antiphons and Readings on p. 136 of the Daily Missal.

Entrance Antiphon.
A child is born for us, and a son is given to us; his sceptre of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Messenger of great counsel.

First Reading: 1 John 2:18-21

A reading from the First Letter of Saint John.

Children,itisthelasthour;
andasyouhaveheardthatantichristiscoming,
sonowmanyantichristshavecome;
thereforeweknowthatitisthelasthour.
Theywentoutfromus,buttheywerenotofus;
foriftheyhadbeenofus,
theywouldhavecontinuedwithus;
buttheywentout,
thatitmightbeplainthattheyallarenotofus.
ButyouhavebeenanointedbytheHolyOne,andyouallknow.
Iwritetoyou,notbecauseyoudonotknowthetruth,
butbecauseyouknowit,
andknowthatnolieisofthetruth.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2.11.12.13 (R. 11a)

 R/. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

O sing a new song to the Lord;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
O sing to the Lord; bless his name.
Proclaim his salvation day by day.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad;
let the sea and all within it thunder praise.
Let the land and all it bears rejoice.

Then will all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice;
he will govern the peoples with his truth.

R/. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Alleluia, Alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia.

Gospel: John 1:1-18

The beginning of the Holy Gospel according to John.

In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God; 
all things were made through him, 
and without him was not anything made that was made. 
In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 
The light shines in the darkness, 
and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 
He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, 
that all might believe through him. 
He was not the light 
but came to bear witness to the light.

The true light that enlightens every person 
was coming into the world. 
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, 
yet the world knew him not. 
He came to his own home, 
and his own people received him not. 
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, 
he gave power to become children of God; 
who were born, not of blood 
nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of mankind, 
but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 
full of grace and truth; 
we have beheld his glory, 
glory as of the only Son from the Father. 

(John bore witness to him, and cried, 
“This was he of whom I said, 
‘He who comes after me ranks before me, 
for he was before me.’”) 

And from his fulness have we all received, 
grace upon grace. 
For the law was given through Moses; 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 
No one has ever seen God; 
the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, 
he has made him known.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Communion Antiphon.
God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.