Gospel LK 2:16-21 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message  that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,  just as it had been told to them.

Reading 1 1 JN 1:5—2:2 Beloved: This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, "We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

LK 2:1-14 the time came for Mary to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in wrapping clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shined around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for observe, I announce to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you:  you will find an infant bound in wrapping clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests."

Lk 1:46-56 Mary said: "My soul declares the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon his humble servant. From this day all generations will call me consecrated: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their arrogance. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."

LK 1:26-38 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found approval with God. Observe, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

Gospel LK 1:5-25 The angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was worried by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bring you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and happiness, and many will celebrate at his birth, for he will be unlimited in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord."

MT 1:18-25 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.  She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  All this took place to achieve what the Lord had said through the prophet:  Observe, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."  

MT  

11:16-19 Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare this generation?  It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a funeral song but you did not mourn.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is an overeater and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'  But wisdom is vindicated by her works." 

MT 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my heavy burdens upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

MK 1:1-8. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  John the Baptist appeared in the desert declaring a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to crouch down and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

MT 7:21, 24-27 Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.  "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a clever man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and battered the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and pounded the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

LK 10:21-24   Jesus celebrated in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the intelligent and the educated you have revealed them to the innocent.  Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."  Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." 

En route to Bethlehem and the birth of the savior.

 MT 8:5-11  When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."  He said to him, "I will come and cure him."  The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.  I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

MK 13:33-37 Jesus said to his disciples: "Be vigilant! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like someone traveling abroad. She leaves home and places her employees in charge, each with his or her own work, and orders the one in charge to be on the watch. Be careful, then; you do not know when the Owner of the house is coming home, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at sunrise, or in the morning. Hopefully she will not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Be attentive!'"