The Kalenda Proclamation is an ancient chant traditionally sung on the vigil of Christmas formally proclaiming the birth of Christ and putting his birth in a historical context, outlining time from creation to the arrival of Christ. This emphasizes that Jesus existed in a literal, specific time and place as well as lays out the timeline of salvation, from the Fall to the Incarnation.
The proclamation contains nine events to contextualize the birth of Christ. The
traditional version was specific in even the earliest dates, but the current
version is more ambiguous until reaching historically documented events:
The Twenty-fifth Day of December, when ages beyond number had run their course from the creation of the world, when God in the beginning created heaven and earth and formed man in his own likeness…
The traditional
version says specifically, “In
the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the
world.”
When century upon century had passed since the Almighty set his bow in the clouds after the Great Flood, as a sign of covenant and peace…
Again, the traditional version is more specific: “the two thousand nine
hundred and fifty-seventh year after the Flood.”
In the 21th century since Abraham, our
faith in faith, came out of Ur of the Chaldees…
The traditional version says, “the two thousand and fifteenth year from the
birth of Abraham,” but both versions place Abraham between 2100 BC and 2000 BC.
In the
13th century since the People of Israel were led by Moses in the Exodus from
Egypt…
The traditional version says “the one thousand
five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of
Israel from Egypt.” The current version shifts this event later, placing it
between 1300 BC and 1200 BC.
Around the thousandth year since David was anointed King…
The traditional version says, “the 1,032nd year from David’s being anointed
king.”
In the 65th week of the prophecy of
Daniel…
From here the traditional and current versions
are in agreement. This dates places Christ’s birth within the “seventy weeks of
years” given by Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The 70th week is commonly
understood as Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection in the Christian tradition.
Christ was around 33 at his crucifixion. If you divide 33 by 7 (to convert it
to “weeks of year”) you get between four and five weeks, landing in the 65th
week.
In the 194th Olympiad…
This date isn’t relevant to salvation history,
but it is a date that helps situate the Nativity in a specific time by a dating
method understood by a large group of people within the Roman Empire. The first Olympic games were held around
July 1, 776 BC, and the four-year period (the Olympiad) lasted from around July
776 BC to around July 772 BC. Multiplying 193 Olympiads by 4 years is 772
years, placing the Nativity between the summers of 4 BC and 1 AD.
In the year 752 since the foundation of the City of Rome…
Again, a widely-understood date. Rome was held to have been founded on
April 21, 753 BC, putting the Nativity around 2 BC.
In the 42nd year of the reign of Caesar Octavian
Augustus, the whole world being at peace...
Caesar Augustus began ruling Rome in 44 BC as part of the
Triumvirate following Caesar’s assassination. He became sole emperor in 27 BC.
The 42nd year of his reign over Rome would be 2 BC. The era was known as the
Pax Romana, period of relative peace in the empire.
Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal
Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most loving presence, was
conceived by the Holy Spirit, and when nine months had passed since his
conception, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem in Judah and was made man:
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the
flesh.
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