You're listening to I Pray with the Gospel on the St. Jose Maria Institute podcast.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me.

I adore you with profound reverence.

I ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and Lord,

my guardian angel, intercede for me. Christmas Eve, a reading from the Gospel of Luke

Chapter 1. Zachariah said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our

enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,

and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his Holy Covenant,

the oath which he swore to our Father Abraham.

The national response to the season we start tonight is to sing.

Elizabeth sang the Hail Mary. Mary sang the Magnificat.

Zachariah sang the Benedictus.

A noted poet was once asked in an interview

if he could explain one of his poems in ordinary terms.

He replied with some feeling,

if I could say what I meant in ordinary terms,

I would not have had to write the poem.

Christmas is a song, a poem.

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