24 DECEMBER

If there is someone reading this who has just returned from several months seclusion on a
desert island, this is for you: It’s the Vigil of Christmas. Christmas Eve. You may discard
your calendar; you may now use your watch to count down the shopping days, uh,"day" before Christmas.

This used to be a fast and abstinence day. We will still have a fish supper tonight because we always
have. A very good reason to do almost anything good.

At the old morning office of Prime on this day the Martyrology reading would be the solemn
announcement of Christ’s birth. This is the description given by Pius Parsch:

“In some European monasteries the chanter, vested in alb and violet cope, steps into the middle of the choir, accompanied by ministers with candles and censer. He incenses the Martyrology on the violet-covered lectern, and after announcing the date begins to sing. All stand with heads uncovered, as at the Gospel. At the phrase, ‘in Bethlehem,’ all kneel; and at the words, ‘the birth of our Lord,’ all prostrate for the first adoration of the Son of God become Man. The passage begins with the fixation of the date according to the ancient computation.”

Gerard has the text of the proclamation on his website here.

Read it out loud, with appropriate pauses after each line. It’s a wonderful piece of liturgical drama.