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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
December 25, 2025
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download, in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel, a spiritual text and commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
Nativity of the Lord
Solemnity
The people who walked in darkness
saw a great light rise;
and on the inhabitants of the land of shadows,
A light shone forth.
Isaiah 9:1
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
Night Mass
Mass of the day
Consult the Lectio Divina page, which invites you to read the Gospel in a prayerful atmosphere so that you may be touched in your heart. It is important not to rush to read commentaries or homilies before having this personal experience of encountering Christ in Scripture.
Next, if you wish, you can read the meditations below which will enrich your personal reading and meditation.
Méditation
HOMILY OF POPE FRANCIS
“On those who dwelt in the land of darkness, a light has dawned” ( Isaiah 9:1). This prophecy from the first reading was fulfilled in the Gospel: indeed, while the shepherds kept watch over their land at night, “the glory of the Lord shone around them” ( Luke 2:9 ). In the darkness of the earth, a light appeared from heaven. What does this light that appeared in the darkness mean? The Apostle Paul suggests it to us, he who told us: “The grace of God has appeared.” The grace of God, which “has appeared, bringing salvation to all people” ( Titus 2:11), enveloped the world that night.
But what is this grace? It is divine love, the love that transforms life, renews history, liberates from evil, and spreads peace and joy. Tonight, God's love has been revealed to us: it is Jesus. In Jesus, the Most High made himself small, to be loved by us. In Jesus, God became a Child, to let himself be embraced by us. But we can still ask ourselves, why does Saint Paul call God's coming into the world "grace"? To tell us that it is completely free. While here on earth, everything seems to follow the logic of giving to receive, God arrives freely. His love is non-negotiable: we have done nothing to deserve it, and we can never repay it.
God's grace has appeared. Tonight, we realize that while we were falling short, He humbled Himself for us; while we went about our business, He came among us. Christmas reminds us that God continues to love every person, even the worst. To me, to you, to each of us today, He says: "I love you and I will always love you; you are precious in My eyes." God doesn't love you because you think rightly and behave well; He loves you, and that's all. His love is unconditional; it doesn't depend on you. You may have wrong ideas, you may have created very complicated situations, but the Lord doesn't stop loving you. How often do we think that God is good if we are good and that He punishes us if we are bad? It's not like that. In our sins, He continues to love us. His love doesn't change; He isn't sensitive. He is faithful, he is patient. This is the gift we find at Christmas: we discover with awe that the Lord embodies all possible generosity, all possible tenderness. His glory does not blind us, his presence does not frighten us. He is born poor in everything, to win us over with the riches of his love.
Homily
Draw from the source
Throughout Advent, the liturgy spoke to us of the coming of Jesus. This good news had been proclaimed for centuries to a "people walking in darkness." This darkness was that of exile and foreign oppression. It had lasted 50 years. The Christmas message is set against the backdrop of the darkness that so painfully marks the life of our world: the darkness of war, terrorism, and violence, but also the darkness of illness and loneliness.
The good news is that God does not abandon us. He comes to us. He comes to “give us hope and save us.” Throughout the Gospels, we hear him speak of a God who is Father, a Father who loves each of his children. He came “to seek and save those who were lost.” The true God has nothing to do with a religion that massacres innocent people—men, women, and even children. The Christmas holiday reminds us that the true God is LOVE. He cannot be anything else. In a world polluted by hatred and violence, he is the one who brings us true light.
This Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, was announced to the shepherds. When we set up the Nativity scene in our homes, we give them pride of place, but many don't really know who they were. In fact, they belonged to a truly despised group. They were rough men who weren't accustomed to attending places of worship. Through them, the good news is proclaimed to the humble, the poor, and the excluded. And we find this throughout the Gospels. Jesus came to tell us that they have first place in God's heart.
Understanding the readings
with Marie-Noëlle THABUT
Une parole pour la route
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