Christmas Eve: A Day for the Saints

National Catholic Register, 24 December 2021

Many of the the treasures of the the Roman Martyrology remain mostly hidden. But on Christmas Eve, the martyrology emerges from the darkness for its moment in the light.

Ready for All Saints Day? It’s Christmas Eve after all.

Let me explain – and introduce the Roman Martyrology.

The Roman Martyrology is an overlooked liturgical book — not nearly as well known as the Roman Missal, the Lectionary or the Liturgy of the Hours

The Roman Martyrology doesn’t even look like a liturgical book; it looks more like a giant directory, which it more or less is. It’s the official listing, by their feast day, of the saints — and a good number of blesseds — officially recognized by the Catholic Church. Despite its great size, the Roman Martyrology is not exhaustive.

I say “recognized” instead of “canonized” as there are many who the Church recognizes as saints, especially biblical figures, who did not undergo the formal process of canonization which developed over centuries. 

It’s those biblical figures that make Christmas Eve an “all saints” day, but more on that later.

The Roman Martyrology is only used as a liturgical book in a few places, usually monastic or other religious communities. The saint (or saints) of the day, with the briefest biographical data, are recited or chanted, either early in the morning or the evening of the previous day.

There are thousands upon thousands of saints recognized by the Church and only a relatively small number have their feast days celebrated publicly at the Holy Mass. Those saints are said to be on the “universal calendar.” Others are celebrated in their localities only. 

For example, St. Faustina’s feast day was only celebrated at Mass in Poland (local calendar) from her canonization in 2000 until 2020, when Pope Francis added her to the universal calendar.

Given that the overwhelming number of saints are not on the universal calendar, the Roman Martyrology is the principal place where their feast days are liturgically recognized.

There is a multitude of riches to be discovered. For example, the feast day of the Good Thief is March 25. Why? Because he died on Good Friday, and saints are often, but not always, assigned their death date as their feast day; dies natalis in Latin, literally their “birthday” in heaven.

Ancient Christian tradition held that the incarnation and redemption took place on the same date, hence Good Friday was held to have taken place on the same date as the Annunciation (March 25). Therefore, the Good Thief appears in the Roman Martyrology on that date.

There are plenty of biblical figures, including many from the Old Testament, who have feast days but are not usually celebrated at Holy Mass. For example, Micah’s feast day in the martyrology is suitably close to Christmas (Dec. 21). It is Micah’s prophecy that provides the answer to the Magi’s question about where the “king of the Jews” had been born: 

And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel (Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2).

King David’s feast day (Dec. 29) is also close to Christmas, as Jesus is the “son of David” born in the city of David.

All these treasures of the the Roman Martyrology remain mostly hidden. But on Christmas Eve the martyrology emerges from the darkness for its moment in the light. Many parishes read the “Christmas Proclamation” before the Christmas Masses, the poetic account of the time and place of Christ’s birth (see below). It can be a dramatic moment, especially if read in the darkness before the lights are turned on in the church, the Christmas tree and nativity scene.

The Christmas Proclamation is the first entry in the Roman Martyrology for Dec. 25. (There are nine other saints listed for Christmas Day, including Brother Albert, the Kracovian artist and friar about whom St. John Paul II wrote a play.) 

The first entry for Dec. 24 is also one of the most beautiful in the entire Roman Martyrology

Commemoratio omnium sanctorum avorum Iesu Christi, filii David, filii Abraham, filii Adam, patrum scilicet, qui Deo placuerunt et iusti inventi sunt et iuxta fidem defuncti, nullis acceptis promissionibus, sed longe eas aspicientes et salutantes, ex quibus natus est Christus secundum carnem, qui est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula.

Portuguese-speakers might spot what is going on from the Latin avorum, from which their word for grandfather and grandmother (avo) comes. Here’s an English translation:

The commemoration of all the holy ancestors of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam, namely those fathers who pleased God and were found just according to the faith of the deceased, who didn’t receive the promises as fulfilled, but gazed on and hailed them from afar, from whom Christ was born according to the flesh, he who is the blessed God above all forever.

It’s the feast day of all the holy ancestors of Jesus, the kind of collective feast day that occurs on Nov. 1. Christmas Eve is the ideal date to celebrate the feast day of all those who prepared the way for the Lord Jesus. 

The poetry of the martyrology makes of a suitable prayer for Christmas Eve morning, contemplating those “who didn’t receive the promises as fulfilled, but gazed on and hailed them from afar.” 

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