First Lesson: God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his

seed will
bruise the Serpent’s head

Genesis 3: 8-15, 17-19

And when they heard the voice of the Lord God taking a walk in Paradise in the afternoon
breeze, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the
trees of Paradise. And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Where are you?” And he
said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid
myself.” He said to him, “Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of
the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?” And Adam said, “The woman,
whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord
God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?” And she responded, “The serpent
deceived me, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this,
you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast
shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life. I will put enmities
between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring.” Yet truly, to Adam,
he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree,
from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In
hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it produce for
you, and you shall eat the plants of the earth. By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread,
until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you
shall return.”
Second Lesson: God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed

Genesis 22: 15-18

Then the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying: “By
my own self, I have sworn, says the Lord. Because you have done this thing, and have not
spared your only begotten son for my sake, I will bless you, and I will multiply your
offspring like the stars of heaven, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring
will possess the gates of their enemies. And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth will
be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.”
Third Lesson: The prophet foretells the coming of the Lord

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. A light has risen for the
inhabitants of the region of the shadow of death. For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son
is given. And leadership is placed upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called: wonderful
Counselor, mighty God, father of the future age, Prince of Peace. His reign will be increased,
and there will be no end to his peace. He will sit upon the throne of David and over his
kingdom, to confirm and strengthen it, in judgement and justice, from now even unto eternity.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall accomplish this.
Fourth Lesson: The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown

Isaiah 11: 1 - 4, 6 - 9

And a rod will go forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower will ascend from his root. And the
Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety. And he will be filled with the spirit
of the fear of the Lord. He will not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove
according to the hearing of the ears. Instead, he will judge the poor with justice, and he will
reprove the meek of the earth with fairness. And he will strike the earth with the rod of his
mouth, and he will slay the impious with the spirit of his lips. The wolf will dwell with the
lamb; and the leopard will lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion and the sheep will
abide together, and a little boy will drive them. The calf and the bear will feed together, their
young ones will rest together. And the lion will eat straw like the ox. And a breastfeeding
infant will play above the lair of the asp. And a child who has been weaned will thrust his
hand into the den of the king snake. They will not harm, and they will not kill, on all my holy
mountain. For the earth has been filled with the knowledge of the Lord, like the waters
covering the sea.
Fifth Lesson: The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Luke 1: 26 – 35, 38

Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name is Joseph, of the house of David; and
the name of the virgin was Mary. And upon entering, the Angel said to her, “Hail, full of
grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” And when she has heard this,
she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be. And
the Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. Behold,
you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name:
JESUS. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most high, and the Lord God
will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for
eternity. And his kingdom shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the Angel, “How shall this
be done, since I do not know man?” And in response, the Angel said to her: “The Holy Spirit
will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of
this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. Then Mary
said: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”
And the Angel departed from her.
Sixth Lesson: St. Luke tells of the Birth of Jesus

St. Luke 2: 1, 4 – 7

And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, so that the whole
world would be enrolled. Then Joseph also ascended from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth,
into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
family of David, in order to be declared, with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
Then it happened that, while they were there, the days were completed, so that she would
give birth. And she brought forth her firstborn son. And she wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn.
Seventh Lesson: The Shepherds go to the manger

St. Luke 2: 8 – 16

And there were shepherds in the same region, being vigilant and keeping watch in the night
over their flock. And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood near them, and the brightness of
God shone around them, and they were struck with a great fear. And the Angel said to them:
“Do not be afraid. For, behold, I proclaim to you a great joy, which will be for all the people.
For today a Saviour has been born for you in the city of David: he is Christ the Lord. And this
will be a sign for you: you will find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the celestial army, praising
God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill.” And it
happened that, when the Angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said to
one another, “Let us cross over to Bethlehem and see this word, which has happened, which
the Lord has revealed to us.” And they went quickly. And they found Mary and Joseph; and
the infant was lying in a manger.
Eight Lesson: The Wise Men are led by the star to Jesus

St. Matthew 2: 1 – 12

And so, when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of King Herod, behold,
Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying: “Where is he who was born king of the
Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to adore him.” Now King
Herod, hearing this, was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the
leaders of the priests, and the scribes of the people, he consulted with them as to where the
Christ would be born. And they said to him: “In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it has been
written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means least among
the leaders of Judah. For from you shall go forth the ruler who shall guide my people Israel’.”
And Herod, quietly calling the Magi, diligently learned from them the time when the star
appeared to them. And sending them into Bethlehem, he said: “Go and diligently ask
questions about the boy. And when you have found him, report back to me, so that I, too,
may come and adore him.” And when they had heard the king, they went away. And behold,
the star that they had seen in the east went before them, even until, arriving, it stood still
above the place where the child was. Then, seeing the star, they were gladdened by a very
great joy. And entering the home, they found the boy with his mother Mary. And so, falling
prostrate, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received a
response in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back by another way to their
own region.
Ninth Lesson: St. John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation

St. John 1: 1 – 14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. He was
with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made
was made without Him. Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men. And the light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent by God,
whose name is John. He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all
would believe through him. He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the
Light. The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world. He was in
the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him. He
went to his own, and his own did not accept him. Yet whoever did accept him, those who
believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God. These are born, not
of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became
flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only begotten Son
from the Father, full of grace and truth.