Antiphon
O Rex Gentium

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.
(cf Isaiah 28.16; Ephesians 2.14)

Readings (Click the links to see the readings)

Thomas: Habakkuk 2.1-4 | Psalm 117 | Ephesians 2.19-22 | John 20.24-29 |

Of the day: 1 Samuel 1.24-28 | The Song of Hannah (APBA, p. 429) | Luke 1.46-58 |

The God We Hardly Knew
Oscar Romero

No one can celebrate
a genuine Christmas
without being truly poor.
The self-sufficient, the proud,
those who, because they have
everything, look down on others,
those who have no need
even of God—for them there
will be no Christmas.
Only the poor, the hungry,
those who need someone
to come on their behalf,
will have that someone.
That someone is God.
Emmanuel. God-with-us.
Without poverty of spirit
there can be no abundance of God.

Prayer

As we wait for the coming of Jesus Christ,
kindle your light in our hearts
to keep us watchful and hopeful,
to open our lives to Christ's coming in many ways through all our days
—even in the least expected ways,
to witness to Christ's ministry and love to our neighbours,
to work together for peace and reconciliation with our neighbours,
to pray for our concerns in this congregation and in our lives.
In the name of Christ.

Caravaggio. The incredulity of St. Thomas. (1601). Sanssouci, Potsdam.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists in "Jauchzet, frohlocket" (Exhalt! Rejoice!) from Bach's Christmas Oratorio BWV 248.