Christmas Eve: Dom Gueranger on 'the Offices of this beautiful Vigil'

Matins:

"First then, the Church makes a mysterious announcemnt to her children.....They are the words which Moses addressed to the people of God, when he told them of the heavenly Manna, which they would receive on the morrow. We too, are expecting our Manna, our Jesus, the Bread of Life, who is to be born in Bethlehem, which is 'the House of Bread'.

Invitatory:
"This day ye shall know that the Lord will come, and in the morning ye shall see his glory.

"The Responsories are full of sublimity and sweetness. Nothing can be more affective than their lyric melody, sung to us by our Mother the Church, on the very night which precedes the night of Jesus' Birth.

"R. Sanctify yourselves this day, and be ye ready: for on the morrow ye shall see The Majesty of God amongst you.
V. This day ye shall know that the Lord will come, and in the morning ye shall see The Majesty of God amongst you.

"R. Be ye constant; ye shall see the help of the Lord upon you: fear not, Judea and Jerusalem: Tomorrow ye shall go forth, and the Lord shall be with you: Sanctify yourselves, ye children of Israel, and be ye ready.
V. Tomorrow ye shall go forth and the Lord shall be with you.........

"R. Sanctify yourselves, ye children of Israel, saith the Lord: for on the morrow, the Lord shall come down: And shall take from you all that is languid.

V. Tomorrow the iniquity of the earth shall be cancerlled, and over us shall reign the Saviour of the world. And he shall take from you all that is languid."