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Prayer for the Morning (Thursday, December 30)

raphael

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December 30, 2021

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Prayer for the Morning

To Christ our newborn King

let us sing a song of rejoicing, alleluia!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

To us a Child of royal birth,

Heir of the promises, is given;

The Invisible appears on earth,

The Son of man, the God of heaven.

The Christ, by raptured seers foretold,

Filled with the eternal Spirit’s power,

Prophet, and Priest, and King behold,

And Lord of all the worlds adore.

Canticle of Judith 16:1, 13-15

As for me, I am old and gray. I have lived with you from my youth to the present day. (cf. 1 Sm 12:2)

Anna had grown old in faith and hope, but when she saw the Child of God’s promise brought to the Temple, she sang in her heart a new song of praise and thanksgiving. One is never too old to be surprised by joy.

Strike up the instruments,

a song to my God with timbrels,

chant to the Lord with cymbals.

Sing to him a new song,

exalt and acclaim his name.

A new hymn I will sing to my God.

O Lord, great are you and glorious,

wonderful in power and unsurpassable.

Let your every creature serve you;

for you spoke, and they were made,

you sent forth your spirit, and they were created;

no one can resist your word.

The mountains to their bases, and the seas, are shaken;

the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance.

But to those who fear you,

you are very merciful.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Hebrews 6:11-12

We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.

For me they listened and waited. (Jb 29:21)

Canticle of Zechariah

Be patient, therefore, until the coming of the Lord. (cf. Jas 5:7)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

For the fulfillment of our Advent waiting, we pray:

R/Reward your people’s patience, Lord.

The people of the Sinai covenant await your coming in faith:

– may they recognize your Son and rejoice when he returns in glory. R/

Those who have longed for the gift of faith and have not received it await you:

– grant them the joy of recognizing you in the celebration of this season. R/

Those whose loved ones have lost the path of faith yearn with love for their conversion:

– reunite in your worship broken households of faith. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

O God of promise and fulfillment, you sent your Son as the long-desired Messiah. Awaken our world to his presence, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ is the ruler of the world:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid thou our sad divisions cease,

And be thyself our King of Peace.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Psalm 72:1-8

He shall be peace. (Mi 5:4)

In a world divided by the rule of sin and death, we place our hope in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose coming we prepare to celebrate with joy.

O God, give your judgment to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice

and your poor in right judgment.

May the mountains bring forth peace for the people

and the hills, justice.

May he defend the poor of the people

and save the children of the needy

and crush the oppressor.

He shall endure like the sun and the moon

from age to age.

He shall descend like rain on the meadow,

like raindrops on the earth.

In his days justice shall flourish

and peace till the moon fails.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Baruch 5:2-4

Wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,/ bear on your head the mitre/ that displays the glory of the eternal name./ For God will show all the earth your splendor:/ you will be named by God forever/ the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.

He has a name written on his cloak and on his thigh,

“King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Rv 19:16)

Canticle of Mary

O King of the nations and their Desire, the Cornerstone who binds two into one: come and save mankind, whom you fashioned from clay. (Traditional O Antiphon)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

Amid the world’s divisions, we stand and pray in hope to the One whose rule is peace:

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

You united warring enemies into your one Body, the new humanity:

– bring your people to new birth by your coming. R/

You died upon the mountain of Calvary to bring justice and peace to all:

– deepen our zeal to overcome the forces that impoverish and divide through the economic pressures of this season. R/

You promise refreshment, light, and peace to those who pass through the gates of death:

– bring into your presence all those who have died in your mercy. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (cf. Phil 4:7)

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

Prayer for the Morning

In Jesus Christ, God has come among his people:

let us give thanks and praise!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

Hymn

From east to west, from shore to shore,

Let every heart awake and sing

The holy Child whom Mary bore,

The Christ, the everlasting King.

Behold, the world’s Creator wears

The form and fashion of a slave;

Our very flesh our Maker shares,

His fallen creature, man, to save.

For this how wondrously he wrought!

A maiden, in her lowly place,

Became, in ways beyond all thought,

The chosen vessel of his grace.

She bowed her to the angel’s word

Declaring what the Father willed,

And suddenly the promised Lord

That pure and hallowed temple filled.

Canticle. 1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. (Lk 1:45)

Bearing the promised Messiah, Mary went in haste to share the joy of God’s gift with her cousin Elizabeth. In them met the end of Israel’s long, patient vigil for the fulfillment of God’s promise and the dawn of the new and eternal day of salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;

make known among the nations his deeds.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

Glory in his holy name;

rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!

Look to the Lord in his strength;

seek to serve him constantly.

Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,

his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains/ are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,/ Announcing peace, bearing good news,/ announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,/ “Your God is King!”

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! (Zep 3:14)

Canticle of Zechariah

Here he comes/ springing across the mountains,/ leaping across the hills. (Sg 2:8)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

To the One in whom God’s promise is fulfilled we pray:

R/Come and reward your people’s hope.

You came forth from the bosom of the Father to clothe yourself in our humanity:

– bring joy to those who long in faithful prayer to see your face. R/

You came to stir to life the prophet prepared to announce your coming to the world:

– stir to joy all those you have appointed to preach the Gospel in our day. R/

You came to fulfill the promise made to Israel:

– grant perseverance to those who live according to your promised kingdom. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

O God, during this season of hope you call your beloved people to arise in joy to greet the celebration of the coming of your Son as the promised Messiah. Free us from all that would keep us from looking forward with eagerness to his return in glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Evening (Tuesday, December 21)

raphael

-

December 21, 2021

0

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ is the Sun of Justice:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Psalm 19:2-7

Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. (Rv 22:5)

In a darkened world, we place our trust in the promised Sun of Justice, whose rising we prepare to celebrate with joy.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;

it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,

rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;

to the furthest end of the sky is its course.

There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Malachi 3:19-20

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,/ when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,/ And the day that is coming will set them on fire,/ leaving them neither root nor branch,/ says the Lord of hosts./ But for you who fear my name, there will arise/ the sun of justice with its healing rays.

On that day,/ The branch of the Lord

will be luster and glory. (Is 4:2)

Canticle of Mary

O Rising Dawn, splendor of eternal Light and Sun of Justice: come and illuminate those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. (Traditional O Antiphon)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

In the darkness, we stand and pray in hope to the One whose life brings light to all the world:

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

The world lies under the thick clouds of warfare within us and among us:

– dispel our darkness with the light of your peace. R/

The world lies wrapped in ignorance:

– dispel our darkness with the light of your truth. R/

The world lies burdened beneath the shadow of death:

– dispel our darkness with the light of your life. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ has opened the gates of heaven:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

O come, thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Psalm 24:7-10

Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Mt 25:34)

Through Jesus Christ, God’s firstborn son, we have ourselves become God’s children. But not merely children, beloved but unimportant: each of us is the firstborn son, that is, the one who receives the full inheritance!

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,

the Lord, the valiant in war.

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is he, the king of glory?

He, the Lord of armies,

he is the king of glory.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Revelation 3:7-8

The holy one, the true,/ who holds the key of David,/ who opens and no one shall close,/ who closes and no one shall open,

says this:…

“Behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close.”

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

(Mt 16:19)

Canticle of Mary

O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel; who open and none can shut; who shut and none can open: come and lead to freedom the prisoner who sits in darkness and the shadow of death.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

Before the gate, we stand and pray in hope to the One whose coming unlocks the way to life:

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

The ancient doors to God’s presence stood closed and barred until your coming:

– lead us out of darkness and the shadow of death. R/

The ancient doors to our prison stood closed and barred by sin:

– lead us from all our enslavements into your freedom. R/

The ancient doors that lead from death to life stood closed and barred before us:

– lead our beloved dead into the joy of eternal life and light. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May the Lord guard our coming and going/ both now and forever. Amen. (cf. Ps 121:8)

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

Prayer for the Evening

The Lord will endure for ever:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

Hymn

O come, thou Rod of Jesse’s stem,

From every foe deliver them

That trust thy mighty pow’r to save,

And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Psalm 102:13-21

The root of Jesse shall come,/ raised up to rule the Gentiles;/ in him shall the Gentiles hope. (Rom 15:12)

Let us prepare to celebrate in wonder the memory of the King of kings and Lord of lords, who came not in glory but in the flesh of a child, and who ruled not from a throne of gold but from a cross of wood to free those condemned to die.

You, O Lord, will endure for ever

and your name from age to age.

You will arise and have mercy on Zion:

for this is the time to have mercy;

yes, the time appointed has come

for your servants love her very stones,

are moved with pity even for her dust.

The nations shall fear the name of the Lord

and all the earth’s kings your glory,

when the Lord shall build up Zion again

and appear in all his glory.

Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;

he will not despise their prayers.

Let this be written for ages to come

that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;

for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.

He looked down from heaven to the earth

that he might hear the groans of the prisoners

and free those condemned to die.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Isaiah 11:10, 12

On that day,/ The root of Jesse,/ set up as a signal for the nations,/ The Gentiles shall seek out,/ for his dwelling shall be glorious./ He shall raise a signal to the nations/ and gather the outcasts of Israel;/ The dispersed of Judah he shall assemble/ from the four corners of the earth.

I am the root and offspring of David,

the bright morning star. (Rv 22:16)

Canticle of Mary

O Root of Jesse, who stand as a sign among the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the nations shall make supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not. (Traditional O Antiphon)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

From all the places into which we have been scattered, let us come together in prayer to say in hope to the promised One:

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

You came to gather your scattered people from every corner of the earth:

– gather us in prayer amid the distractions of this season. R/

You appointed your Church to be a sacrament of unity in a divided world:

– gather us in love from all the camps into which we have separated ourselves. R/

You will come again to free all those still in the grip of death:

– gather all peoples in joy into the heavenly Jerusalem. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon us and remain with us for ever. Amen.

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

Prayer for the Morning

God will make his throne endure as the heavens:

come, let us adore.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

The advent of our God

Our prayers must now employ,

And we must meet him on his road

With hymns of holy joy.

The everlasting Son

Incarnate deigns to be;

Himself a servant’s form puts on

To set his people free.

Daughter of Zion, rise

To meet your lowly King,

Nor let your faithless heart despise

The peace he comes to bring.

Psalm 78:3-5a, 69-71

He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock/ by the strength of the Lord,/ in the majestic name of the Lord, his God. (Mi 5:3)

God promised to send as Messiah and Savior a shepherd in the line of the great shepherd king of Israel, David. God keeps his promises in unexpected ways: the Child is born not of a ruling sovereign but of a humble woman of David’s line, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The things we have heard and understood,

the things our fathers have told us,

these we will not hide from their children

but will tell them to the next generation:

the glories of the Lord and his might

and the marvelous deeds he has done,

the witness he gave to Jacob,

the law he established in Israel.

He built his shrine like the heavens,

or like the earth which he made firm for ever.

And he chose David his servant

and took him away from the sheepfolds.

From the care of the ewes he called him

to be shepherd of Jacob his people,

of Israel his own possession.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Deuteronomy 28:2-4a

When you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, all these blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you:

“May you be blessed in the city,/ and blessed in the country!/ Blessed be the fruit of your womb.”

Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,

above all the women on earth. (Jdt 13:18)

Canticle of Zechariah

Hosanna to the Son of David;/ blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;/ hosanna in the highest. (Mt 21:9)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

From Bethlehem in Judah, too small to be honored among the clans of Israel, came the new Ruler and Savior, the shepherd born to fulfill the promise made to David’s house. To him we pray:

R/Come and reward your people’s hope!

Grant us the faithful patience of Elizabeth: R/

Grant us the faithful witness of John the Baptist: R/

Grant us the faithful love of Mary: R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

Lord Jesus Christ, you are Son of God and Son of Mary. Come and save your people, for you live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Evening

Vigil of the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Jesus Christ is covenant and law:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

O come, O come, great Lord of might,

Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times once gave the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Canticle of Mattathias. 1 Mc 2:51-53, 57-61

There were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. (Ex 19:16, 18a)

We prepare with awe-filled joy to celebrate the incomprehensible mystery of the new covenant made in Jesus Christ, in whose Incarnation humanity and divinity are joined in a communion far beyond anything that could have been imagined at Sinai.

Remember the deeds that our fathers did

in their times,

and you shall win great glory

and an everlasting name.

Was not Abraham found faithful in trial,

and it was reputed to him as uprightness?

Joseph, when in distress, kept the commandment,

and he became master of Egypt.

David, for his piety,

received as a heritage a throne of everlasting royalty.

Elijah, for his burning zeal for the law,

was taken up to heaven.

Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, for their faith,

were saved from the fire.

Daniel, for his innocence,

was delivered from the jaws of lions.

And so, consider this from generation to generation,

that none who hope in him shall fail in strength.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Hebrews 12:18, 22-24

You have not approached that [mountain] which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed

on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:28)

Canticle of Mary

O Adonai and Leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flames of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come and redeem us with outstretched arm. (Traditional O Antiphon)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

[he] has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

United with God in the covenant of love, we stand and pray in hope to the One in whose blood that covenant was sealed:

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

For those whom you have bound to yourself in your covenant of love:

– grant us perseverance in fidelity to the law you have written in our hearts. R/

For those who will come after us in the covenant of your love:

– grant us the wisdom to teach them well by word and example. R/

For those who have gone before us in fidelity to the covenant of your love:

– bring them to dwell in joy with you for ever in the heavenly Jerusalem. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish us with all that is good, that we may do his will. Amen. (cf. Heb 13:20-21)

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

Prayer for the Morning

The promised One shall come and rule over us

in peace: come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

The God of whom the prophets told,

when truth in signs and visions came,

we now in Christ by faith behold

and hear his word and know his Name.

His grace alone our confidence,

his Spirit’s power about our ways,

a wall of fire our sure defense,

his covenant our song of praise.

Rejoice! for Christ shall come again,

with peace and righteousness restored:

from sea to sea our King shall reign,

and all be holy to the Lord.

Psalm 127

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,/ when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David. (Jer 23:5)

God promised to build an everlasting house for David. In sleep, Joseph, of the house of David, receives word of the promise’s astonishing fulfillment: his intended wife has not been unfaithful but has been the faithful instrument in God’s plan to save the world through the gift of the Son she has conceived by the Holy Spirit.

If the Lord does not build the house,

in vain do its builders labor;

if the Lord does not watch over the city,

in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising,

your going later to rest,

you who toil for the bread you eat:

when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,

a blessing, the fruit of the womb.

Indeed the sons of youth

are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of the man

who has filled his quiver with these arrows!

He will have no cause for shame

when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. 2 Samuel 7:12-14a, 16

I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,/

and from his roots a bud shall blossom. (Is 11:1)

Canticle of Zechariah

As king he shall reign and govern wisely,/ he shall do what is just and right in the land. (Jer 23:5)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

Let us pray to the promised Son of David:

R/Come and reward your people’s hope!

You are of the house and line of David:

– reward all those who hope in you, Son of God and Son of David. R/

You are the gift of God’s love to those who waited long in faith:

– strengthen our faith as we look forward to the celebration of your coming. R/

You have opened to us the Father’s house, where there are many dwelling places:

– bring us to the home you have prepared for us. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the long-awaited ruler of the earth. Through the example and intercession of Mary and Joseph, prepare our hearts to receive you with joy and to serve you faithfully, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Evening (Friday, December 17)

raphael

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December 17, 2021

1

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God:

come, let us adore him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

The great O Antiphons, verses traditionally sung before and after the Canticle of Mary each evening at Vespers, begin this evening. The popular Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” paraphrases them.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,

Who orders all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

R/Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Canticle. Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! (Rom 11:33)

God sent his only Son to recreate through his life and death of loving obedience the world created in wisdom and disrupted by sin. The extraordinary generosity of God is itself the most powerful sign that God’s wisdom is far beyond our own.

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

The Lord has removed the judgment against you,

he has turned away your enemies;

The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst,

you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,

a mighty savior;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

and renew you in his love,

He will sing joyfully because of you,

as one sings at festivals.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Sirach 24:3-6

[Wisdom speaks:] “From the mouth of the Most High I came forth,/ and mistlike covered the earth./ In the highest heavens did I dwell,/ my throne on a pillar of cloud./ The vault of heaven I compassed alone,/ through the deep abyss I wandered./ Over waves of the sea, over all the land,/ over every people and nation I held sway.”

All wisdom comes from the Lord/

and with him it remains forever. (Sir 1:1)

Canticle of Mary

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence. (Traditional O Antiphon)

Intercessions

We pray in hope to Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (cf. 1 Cor 1:24)

R/Come, Lord Jesus!

You created the world in wisdom:

– in wisdom may we forge the pattern of our lives. R/

You redeemed the world by the wisdom of the cross:

– in wisdom may we turn from selfishness and sin to love. R/

You order all things according to your wisdom:

– in wisdom may we seek and do your will. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. Amen. (cf. Eph 1:17)

Marian Antiphon

O Mary, ever Virgin, rejoice,

you who were worthy to bear Christ,

the Creator of heaven and earth;

for from your womb

you brought forth the Savior of the world, alleluia.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quæ genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

sharing the faith received

sharing the faith received

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Recent Comments

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Word of God. Hebrews 6:11-12

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Word of God. Deuteronomy 28:2-4a

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Hymn

Canticle of Mattathias. 1 Mc 2:51-53, 57-61

Word of God. Hebrews 12:18, 22-24

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