:00:35. > :00:40.I'm in the south of Westminster Abbey and it's a place of private
:00:41. > :00:43.prayer and where we say our morning prayers on the morning. It's
:00:44. > :00:48.fundamental to the life of the Abbey and enables us to welcome so many
:00:49. > :00:51.people here with a proper sense of the religious life at the heart and
:00:52. > :00:57.to hold so many special services that it is the daily and yearly
:00:58. > :01:01.round of worship that is fundamental to what we are. I welcome you
:01:02. > :01:04.tonight to the first Eucharist of Christmas, where we begin to
:01:05. > :01:07.celebrate the wonderful gift that God has given us in the Christ
:01:08. > :01:13.child. The wonderful sense of his love for us, his engagement with us.
:01:14. > :01:16.I welcome you to join in the congregation of 2,000 people from
:01:17. > :01:20.the United Kingdom and from all over the world, who come here to worship.
:01:21. > :01:26.Join with us in singing the hymns and in the prayers. And we shall
:01:27. > :01:30.celebrate the Eucharist when we receive the bread and wine, but
:01:31. > :04:50.above all, have a very happy Christmas.
:04:51. > :04:55.We hope he may come to share his life in glory.
:04:56. > :05:02.In God our Father, on this night, your son Jesus Christ was born of
:05:03. > :05:09.the Virgin Mary for us and for our salvation. Bless this crib, which we
:05:10. > :05:14.have prepared to celebrate his holy birth. May all who see it be
:05:15. > :05:20.strengthened in faith and receive the fullness of life he came to
:05:21. > :05:24.bring. Who is alive and reigns with us and the Holy Spirit, one God,
:05:25. > :09:52.world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of
:09:53. > :09:57.the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Hear the words of the Angel
:09:58. > :10:09.to Joseph: "for he will save his people from
:10:10. > :10:15.their sins." As the Lord welcomes us into his
:10:16. > :10:17.presence through Christ who is the Saviour of
:10:18. > :10:27.the world. ALL: Almighty God,
:10:28. > :10:29.Our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you
:10:30. > :10:32.and against our neighbour Almighty God, who forgives all who
:10:33. > :11:03.truly repent, pardon and deliver you from
:11:04. > :11:09.all your sins confirm and strengthen you
:11:10. > :11:15.in all goodness, to shine with the brightness
:11:16. > :15:53.of your one true light, bring us, who have known the
:15:54. > :15:58.revelation of that light on earth to see the radiance of your heavenly
:15:59. > :16:04.glory, through Jesus Christ your Son
:16:05. > :16:09.our Lord The people who walked in darkness
:16:10. > :16:49.have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep
:16:50. > :16:56.darkness - on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation,
:16:57. > :17:01.you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you
:17:02. > :17:06.as with joy at the harvest, as people exult
:17:07. > :17:10.when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden,
:17:11. > :17:18.and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have
:17:19. > :17:24.broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping
:17:25. > :17:29.warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be
:17:30. > :17:34.burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us,
:17:35. > :17:38.a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders
:17:39. > :17:47.and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
:17:48. > :17:50.Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. and there shall be endless peace for
:17:51. > :18:00.the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish
:18:01. > :18:05.and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this
:18:06. > :18:11.time onwards and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
:18:12. > :18:14.will do this. The grace of God has appeared,
:18:15. > :22:12.bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety
:22:13. > :22:17.and worldly passions, and in the present age to live
:22:18. > :22:27.lives that are self controlled, upright and godly, while we wait
:22:28. > :22:32.for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our
:22:33. > :22:37.great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us
:22:38. > :22:41.that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify
:22:42. > :22:47.for himself a people of his own Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
:22:48. > :25:17.Christ according to St Luke. In those days a decree went
:25:18. > :25:36.out from Emperor Augustus that all This was the first registration
:25:37. > :25:45.and was taken while Quirinius was
:25:46. > :25:47.governor of Syria. All went to their own
:25:48. > :25:52.towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town
:25:53. > :25:56.of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David
:25:57. > :25:59.called Bethlehem, because he was descended
:26:00. > :26:03.from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary,
:26:04. > :26:08.to whom he was engaged While they were there, the time
:26:09. > :26:20.came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth of her
:26:21. > :26:23.firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth,
:26:24. > :26:27.and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them
:26:28. > :26:31.in the inn. In that region there were
:26:32. > :26:35.shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock
:26:36. > :26:39.by night. Then an angel of the Lord
:26:40. > :26:42.stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
:26:43. > :26:48.and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not
:26:49. > :26:53.be afraid; for see - "good news of great joy for all
:26:54. > :27:00.the people; to you is born this "day in the city of David a Saviour,
:27:01. > :27:07.who is the Messiah, the Lord. "This will be a sign for you;
:27:08. > :27:12.you will find a child "wrapped in bands of cloth
:27:13. > :27:17.and lying in a manger." And suddenly there
:27:18. > :27:21.was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God
:27:22. > :27:26.and saying, "Glory to God "in the highest heaven, and on earth
:27:27. > :27:33.peace among those whom he favours!" A boy is born in Bethlehem;
:27:34. > :29:25.thus we all rejoice. Familiar sights and sounds have the
:29:26. > :29:31.power to transport us out of the present moment,
:29:32. > :29:35.to bring back memories, to evoke particular feelings,
:29:36. > :29:41.often to give us a sense of reassurance,
:29:42. > :29:44.of comfort and peace. Favourite scents or
:29:45. > :29:48.perfumes have the same power, the smell of a rose,
:29:49. > :29:53.or perhaps of the farmyard, to transport us
:29:54. > :29:55.to another place or time. We use incense here at the great
:29:56. > :30:01.festivals, to transport us as it
:30:02. > :30:05.were to heaven. For most of us St Luke's account
:30:06. > :30:08.we have just heard of the first Christmas is one we have known
:30:09. > :30:12.since childhood. The evocative
:30:13. > :30:14.familiarity of the story, coupled with the joy
:30:15. > :30:19.we have all experienced in the birth of a child, makes it
:30:20. > :30:22.immensely attractive. It is no wonder that artists
:30:23. > :30:29.through history have been drawn to paint images of the Nativity of
:30:30. > :30:34.Christ and of the Virgin and Child. At the very East End of the Abbey
:30:35. > :30:40.nearest the Palace of Westminster is a strikingly beautiful chapel
:30:41. > :30:46.built 500 years ago by Henry VII, where his body rests with those of
:30:47. > :30:51.some other British kings and queens. The chapel, described in 1545 as the
:30:52. > :30:55."wonder of the entire world", is dedicated to the Mother
:30:56. > :30:58.of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lady Mary,
:30:59. > :31:03.and called the Lady Chapel. It contains images of the Madonna
:31:04. > :31:08.and Child. One such image,
:31:09. > :31:15.behind the Chapel's high altar, was painted by a Venetian artist,
:31:16. > :31:18.Bartolomeo Vivarini, in about 1480. When I take services at that altar
:31:19. > :31:22.I can stand for some time At first sight, the scene is
:31:23. > :31:30.one of peaceful domesticity. The mother standing within a window
:31:31. > :31:32.frame supports the child Jesus The holy Child, standing
:31:33. > :31:39.on the window sill, looks back It feels like a silent night,
:31:40. > :31:50.a holy night: But after a time
:31:51. > :32:00.I came to see a strange feature, something for me strikingly odd,
:32:01. > :32:04.even rather shocking. I noticed that the fingernails
:32:05. > :32:09.of the image of the Mother of God were grimy, with dark dirt under the
:32:10. > :32:21.nails and around the cuticles. And the bare feet of the image
:32:22. > :32:22.of the Son of God are filthy. I came to recognise that behind the
:32:23. > :32:24.images were artist s models And the model for the child had been
:32:25. > :32:36.running around in the dirt They had neither the running
:32:37. > :32:43.water nor the soap that we That thought took me
:32:44. > :32:50.right back to the stable itself, and the birth of the baby Jesus,
:32:51. > :32:55.whom we worship and adore as Lord, Son of God, the longed-for Christ
:32:56. > :32:59.who fulfils the hopes of Isaiah, the "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty
:33:00. > :33:03.God, Everlasting Father, The Son of God was born into
:33:04. > :33:14.human flesh as the Son of Mary, with all the limitations and deprivations
:33:15. > :33:16.of life in that time and place. meant a great deal more than dirty
:33:17. > :33:22.fingernails, however surprising After all, Mary and Joseph
:33:23. > :33:31.in Bethlehem were homeless, without the benefit of family
:33:32. > :33:36.and friends, seeking refuge in a stable,
:33:37. > :33:44.not exactly enjoying the evocative smells of the farmyard,
:33:45. > :33:50.laying the baby in a manger. We have almost forgotten
:33:51. > :33:55.what a manger is. But the word comes from the French
:33:56. > :33:56.word to eat. It means the food trough where the
:33:57. > :33:59.animals, the ox and the ass, and any had been eating perhaps only minutes
:34:00. > :34:06.before. Did Joseph find fresh hay to lay
:34:07. > :34:09.on top of the straw the animals any more than a wooden cross would
:34:10. > :34:26.look like a suitable royal throne. Born in a stable, laid in a manger,
:34:27. > :34:32.Jesus Christ would grow up to have nowhere to lay his head,
:34:33. > :34:40.to be beaten, to be nailed to a cross and to die there while most of
:34:41. > :34:44.the people laughed and mocked him. Crowds of people had followed
:34:45. > :34:51.the adult Jesus at first but they fell away when it
:34:52. > :34:55.all seemed too difficult. Later in the service,
:34:56. > :34:58.bread and wine will be offered Behind the altar is
:34:59. > :35:06.a 19th century image in glass It shows Jesus surrounded
:35:07. > :35:15.by his apostles, sharing with them the bread and wine which he declared
:35:16. > :35:19.to be his Body and Blood. Most of
:35:20. > :35:24.the apostles were to run away, Later, after the Resurrection
:35:25. > :35:33.and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they lost all fear and proclaimed
:35:34. > :35:35.him as Saviour and Son of God. when his friends arrived at the
:35:36. > :35:45.Last Supper Jesus washed their feet. What had not been done for him
:35:46. > :35:51.as a little child, he now did for others,
:35:52. > :35:57.a mark of his generous love. On this holy night we celebrate
:35:58. > :36:04.the amazing truth that God He comes to offer us his unfailing
:36:05. > :36:14.love, not through the exercise of power
:36:15. > :36:16.but through his passion, He comes to break down the barriers
:36:17. > :36:23.between earth and heaven: sharing our life on earth,
:36:24. > :36:30.he brings heaven to earth and prepares us
:36:31. > :36:34.to share his life in heaven. Tonight in the banquet of His Body
:36:35. > :36:42.and Blood that same Saviour and Lord offers us a foretaste
:36:43. > :36:52.of his precious gift of New Life. A boy is born in Bethlehem; thus we
:36:53. > :37:17.all rejoice. Alleluia! We believe in one God, the Father,
:37:18. > :38:57.the Almighty, In the power of the Spirit
:38:58. > :38:59.and in union with Christ, Creator of the world,
:39:00. > :39:10.born into the world, God, with us in the grit
:39:11. > :39:13.and hardships of this world. in the suffering we sometimes endure
:39:14. > :39:19.within it, unveil again your hidden presence at the heart
:39:20. > :39:23.of all things - to bring new faith, Redeemer of the world,
:39:24. > :39:39.God working with us in the world in every
:39:40. > :39:44.place of poverty and deprivation. In every place of conflict,
:39:45. > :39:48.injustice and in every heart of sorrow
:39:49. > :39:52.and fear, work again your costly
:39:53. > :39:56.alchemy of redemption to bring healing, renewal, justice,
:39:57. > :40:05.peace. God who brought heaven
:40:06. > :40:18.and Earth together, once for all in a birth at Bethlehem
:40:19. > :40:24.in Palestine, bring a taste of this
:40:25. > :40:27.eternity to us here tonight wherever we are, and join us now
:40:28. > :40:31.with all who have gone before us and with all the saints in praise,
:40:32. > :40:38.and wonder at this eternal life of Christ
:40:39. > :40:45.offered to us all again this night. accept these prayers, for the sake
:40:46. > :40:51.of your Son, our Saviour Jesus
:40:52. > :41:00.Christ, Amen. Unto us a child is born,
:41:01. > :41:02.unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called the
:41:03. > :41:12.Prince of Peace. The peace of the Lord be always with
:41:13. > :45:54.# Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
:45:55. > :46:07.# It is right to give thanks and praise
:46:08. > :46:09.# All glory and honour be yours always and ev'rywhere
:46:10. > :46:20.# We give you thanks and praise for your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ
:46:21. > :46:25.# Who for love of our fallen race humbled himself, was born
:46:26. > :46:35.# Of the Virgin Mary by the power of your Spirit, and lived as one of us
:46:36. > :46:39.# In this mystery of the Word made flesh
:46:40. > :46:44.# You have caused his light to shine in our hearts
:46:45. > :46:52.# To give knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ
:46:53. > :46:58.# In him we see our God made visible
:46:59. > :47:05.# And so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see
:47:06. > :47:10.# Therefore with all the angels of heaven
:47:11. > :47:16.# We lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name
:47:17. > :49:38.# And sing our joyful hymn of praise. #
:49:39. > :49:44.Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;
:49:45. > :49:47.grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit
:49:48. > :49:59.may be to us the body and blood of Lord Jesus Christ,
:50:00. > :50:03.who in the same night that he was betrayed,
:50:04. > :50:18.he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,
:50:19. > :50:38."Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you.
:50:39. > :50:49."this is my blood of the new covenant
:50:50. > :50:54."which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
:50:55. > :51:26.And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross
:51:27. > :51:30.his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world
:51:31. > :51:34.rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension
:51:35. > :51:41.as we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
:51:42. > :51:45.As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
:51:46. > :51:48.we bring before you this bread and this cup
:51:49. > :51:52.and we thank you for counting us worthy
:51:53. > :51:56.to stand in your presence and serve you.
:51:57. > :52:18.all who share this one bread and one cup,
:52:19. > :52:19.so that we, in the company of St Peter and St Joseph and St Edward
:52:20. > :52:25.# By whom, and with whom and in whom
:52:26. > :52:31.# All honour and glory be yours almighty Father,
:52:32. > :52:48.As we join our prayers with those of the Church Universal
:52:49. > :52:54.the prayer that Jesus Christ has taught us.
:52:55. > :53:31.who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
:53:32. > :53:32.ALL: Though we are many we are one body
:53:33. > :53:39.because we all share in one bread.
:53:40. > :53:42.Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
:53:43. > :53:46.Blessed are those who are called to his supper.
:53:47. > :53:51.ALL: Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word,
:53:52. > :15:06.in this night you have made known to us again
:15:07. > :15:08.May the Father, who has loved the eternal Son
:15:09. > :15:10.from before the foundation of the world,
:15:11. > :15:12.shed that love upon you his children.
:15:13. > :15:19.gathered into one things earthly and heavenly
:15:20. > :15:31.by whose overshadowing Mary became the God-bearer,
:15:32. > :15:34.give you grace to carry the good news of Christ.
:15:35. > :15:48.the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,
:15:49. > :15:51.be among you and remain with you always.