Concelebrating with him were: Apostolic Nuncio in Bosnia and Herzegovina Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt; Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bosnia and Herzegovina Msgr. Amaury Medina Blanco; Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić; cathedral parish priest and professor of KBF in Sarajevo, Ph.D. rev. Oliver Jurišić and seven other priests.

Introducing the Holy Mass celebration, Archbishop Vukšić first greeted Archbishop Chullikatt, the priests, nuns, theologians and the faithful in a special way. After the biblical readings and the announced Gospel, at the beginning of the sermon, Msgr. Vukšić reminded that the birth of Jesus is the feast of God's justice that dawned like light and blazed like the torch of his salvation, and explained that this is so because God, by sending his Son into the world, who became a man, united humanity with himself, “married” our human condition in its covenant of love.

“Celebrating Christmas means doing the same as Mary, who humbly worshiped God and trusted God's plans, even when she did not fully understand what exactly God intended. Celebrating Christmas means being more silent in the face of the humility and greatness of God and surrendering to listening to God's voice in silence”, reminded the preacher, warning that it is possible to celebrate Christmas in the wrong way, which is that the news from Heaven is not in the centre, but in the first plan we people set ourselves and our traditions, and pointed out that many spiritual writers are constantly warning about such a temptation and the possibility of celebrating without the Celebrant, and more recently the Holy Father Francis has done the same with the words: “If Christmas remains only a beautiful traditional celebration, where we are in the centre and not Him, it will be a lost opportunity. Please (...) Let's not leave aside the Celebrant, as was the case when he 'came to his own, and his own did not receive him' (Jn 1:11).”

At the end of the Holy Mass vigil, Archbishop Vukšić, invoking God's blessing, wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year.

The Holy Mass celebration was animated by harmonious singing by the Josip Stadler Cathedral Choir under the direction of rev. Marko Stanušić, and the Holy Mass that started at 9 p.m. was broadcast live by BHT 1.