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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29)

Saint Thomas Becket

Prayer for the Morning

 

The Lord comes to us:

come, let us adore him, 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

 

In his Temple now behold him,

See the long-expected Lord;

Ancient prophets had foretold him—

God has now fulfilled his word.

Now to praise him, his redeemèd

Shall break forth with one accord.

 

In the arms of her who bore him,

Virgin pure, behold him lie,

While his agèd saints adore him

Ere in faith and hope they die.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Lo, th’incarnate God most high.

 

Jesus, by your presentation,

You, who did for us endure,

Make us see our great salvation,

Seal us with your promise sure.

And present us in your glory

To your Father, cleansed and pure.

 

PSALM 22:26-32

 

Suddenly there will come to the temple/ the Lord whom you seek. (Mal 3:1)

The long-awaited Messiah comes. The glory of the Lord fills the Temple, hidden in the person of a child of the poor. The salvation for which we wait can come to us in small, unrecognized ways. That is the way of the Incarnation.

 

You are my praise in the great assembly.

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

 

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,

all families of the nations worship before him

for the kingdom is the Lord’s; he is ruler of the nations.

They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

 

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

“These things the Lord has done.”

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Ezekiel 43:2, 3b-5)

 

I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. I fell prone as the glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east, but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the Lord.

 

And we have seen his glory! (cf. Jn 1:14)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

The Lord shall be your light forever,/ your God shall be your glory. (Is 60:19)

 

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

 

The light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in darkness; the Dayspring from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness. Let us pray:

R/Let him enter, the King of glory.

Light from light, give the light of hope to those who seek your face. R/

Light of the world, give the light of faith to those who dwell in unbelief. R/

Light of the nations, give the light of the Gospel to those who live in ignorance. R/

Light no darkness can extinguish, give the light of love to the aged, sick, and dying who await you in patient faith. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

O God who dwell in unapproachable light, you have come among us to lighten our darkness. Open our eyes to see your glory concealed in the revelations of daily life; open our hearts to receive you with Simeon’s welcoming faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (MONDAY, DECEMBER 28)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (MONDAY, DECEMBER 28)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Jesus Christ is our life:

come, let us adore him, 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

 

The hymn for conquering martyrs raise,

The victor innocents we praise,

Whom in their woe earth cast away,

But heav’n with joy received today;

 

Whose angels see the Father’s face

World without end, and hymn his grace;

And while they chant unceasing lays,

The hymn for conquering martyrs raise.

 

A voice from Ramah there was sent,

A voice of weeping and lament,

When Rachel mourned the children’s care

Whom for the tyrant’s sword she bare.

 

Triumphal is their glory now,

Whom earthly torments could not bow,

What time, both far and near that went,

A voice from Ramah there was sent.

 

PSALM 86:1-4, 14-17

 

The Lord will give strength to his people,/ the Lord will bless his people with peace. (Ps 29:11)

The peace of Bethlehem was shattered by the cries of the slaughtered children and the weeping of their mothers. The peace of the world was shattered by the single cry from the cross. Yet through that death and mourning, peace was reborn, indestructible now, in the Resurrection of the slain Christ.

 

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am faithful:

save the servant who trusts in you.

 

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

for to you I lift up my soul.

 

The proud have risen against me;

ruthless men seek my life:

to you they pay no heed.

 

But you, God of mercy and compassion,

slow to anger, O Lord,

abounding in love and truth,

turn and take pity on me.

 

O give your strength to your servant

and save your handmaid’s son.

Show me a sign of your favor

that my foes may see to their shame

that you console me and give me your help.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

 

For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.

Save your handmaid’s children! (cf. Ps 86:16)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY

 

Blessed are they who mourn,/ for they will be comforted. (Mt 5:4)

 

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

 

We rejoice in the glory of Jesus Christ, who conquered the enemy with a white-robed army of children.

 

R/MGive your strength to your servants.

 

The Holy Innocents bore witness not in word but in death:

– give us courage to bear witness to you in word and in deed. R/

 

The Holy Innocents washed their robes clean in your own blood:

– cleanse us from all sin. R/

 

The Holy Innocents gave their lives for you:

– grant peace to all those who have given their lives into your hands. R/

 

Personal intentions

 

Our Father….

 

May God, who sent his angels to the shepherds, fill us with joy and make us heralds of his Gospel. Amen.

 

Marian Antiphon

 

Antiphon for the Solemnity of Christmas,
December 25

 

This day a Virgin inviolate

has brought forth God for us,

clothed in tender members,

whom she was found worthy to suckle;

let us all adore him,

who has come to save us.

 

Translated by James Monti

 

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae 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.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

 

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Feast of the Holy Innocents

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Feast of the Holy Innocents

“Sweet Flowers of Martyrdom” (First Century)

Their story

 

+ Today the Church celebrates those children who were killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding area by order of King Herod.

+ These innocent victims gave testimony to the Messiah and Redeemer, not by their words, but by shedding their blood.

+ Honored as martyrs by the Early Church, they have been remembered since the first century.

+ In his beautiful “Hymn for Epiphany,” the poet Prudentius praises the Innocents as “sweet flowers of martyrdom / cut down in life’s bright dawning hour,” and as playing, in their simplicity, by God’s altar with the crowns and martyrs’ palms that are their reward.

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“In Ramah is heard the sound of sobbing,

bitter weeping!

Rachel mourns for her children,

she refuses to be consoled

for her children—they are no more!”—Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18

 

Prayer

 

O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed

and proclaimed on this day,

not by speaking but by dying,

grant, we pray,

that the faith in you which we confess with our lips

may also speak through our manner of life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Feast of the Holy Family

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Feast of the Holy Family

The Model of All Christian Families

The meaning of the celebration

 

+ While devotion to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph dates back several centuries, the Feast of the Holy Family was instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1893.

 

+ Originally celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany, it is now celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas (or on December 30, if there is no Sunday).

 

+ While this feast invites us to continue our reflection on the Mystery of Christmas, it also highlights how the Holy Family of Nazareth is a model for all Christian families.

For prayer and reflection

 

“In the loving obedience of this woman, Mary, and this man, Joseph, we have a family into which God comes. God always knocks on the doors of our hearts. He likes to do that. He goes out from within. But do you know what he likes best of all? To knock on the doors of families. And to see families which are united, families which love, families which bring up their children, educating them and helping them to grow, families which build a society of goodness, truth and beauty.”—Pope Francis

Vocations

 

To learn about religious communities named in honor of the Mystery of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, visit the links below.

 

For men:

 

The Croatian Franciscan Friars of the Custody of the Holy Family: www.crofranciscans.com

The Missionaries of the Holy Family: www.MSF-America.org

The Sons of the Holy Family: www.holyfamilyseminary.com

 

For women

 

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Carmel of the Holy Family (Cleveland Heights, OH): www.clevelandcarmel.org

 

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Holy Family (Erie, PA): www.eriecd.org/carmelites

 

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Valparaiso, NE), click, here.

The Sisters of the Holy Family: www.sistersoftheholyfamily.com

The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth: www.nazarethcsfn.org

Daughters of Divine Charity (Holy Family Province): www.daughtersofdivinecharity.org

The Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family of Dubuque: www.osfdbq.org

The Sisters of the Holy Family: www.holyfamilysisters.org

Prayer

 

O God, who were pleased to give us

the shining example of the Holy Family,

graciously grant that we may imitate them

in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,

and so, in the joy of your house,

delight one day in eternal rewards.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27)

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Prayer for the Morning

Jesus Christ is true God of true God

and true man of true man:

come, let us adore him, 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

Is it not joy to sing his royal birthday,

That Son begotten of the highest Father,

And House of David with the names ennobling

That ancient kindred?

Back from the borders of the Nile’s far limits

Led by an angel, swift the Boy returning

Bears many hardships; then with foster-father

Finds home and safety.

There humbly learning Joseph’s trade so lowly,

Jesus grows up, his life completely hidden;

Willingly joins the carpenter at labor,

Helping at woodcraft.

There the kind mother sits by Son beloved,

There the good wife too sits beside her husband:

Happy in easing cares and weary burdens

By loving service.

You three who know so well both toil and labor,

You suffered hardship: help the poor and needy

Whom while they struggle poverty oppresses

With sharp affliction!

So to you, Jesus, glory be and power,

Who give us holy life’s most perfect model,

With highest Father and life-giving Spirit

Reigning for ever.

PSALM 128

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. (Lk 2:33)

This feast reminds us that Jesus lived a real human life among real people of flesh and blood. The Son of God became the obedient son of a foster father and a Mother who, together, accepted him and walked obediently in God’s mysterious ways, like the faith-filled family extolled in this psalm. But their Child’s children, destined for the heavenly Jerusalem, fill the whole world!

O blessed are those who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways!

By the labor of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper;

your wife like a fruitful vine

in the heart of your house;

your children like shoots of the olive,

around your table.

Indeed thus shall be blessed

the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life!

May you see your children’s children

in a happy Jerusalem!

On Israel, peace!

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Ephesians 6:1-4)

Children, obey your parents [in the Lord], for this is right. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise, “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

For all of you are children of the light

and children of the day. (1 Thes 5:5)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Eph 5:1)

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 adore the Son of the living God and beg him:

R/Sanctify us, Lord Jesus, by your obedience!

Son of God and Son of Man, you were born into a human family:

– strengthen the bonds of love and reverence in every family. R/

Eternal Word of the Father, you subjected yourself to Mary and Joseph:

– teach us humility. R/

Creator of the universe, you were known as the son of a carpenter:

– teach us to value the gift of work. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

God and Father of all, you gave us the Holy Family to serve as an example of love and obedience. Grant to all people, in family homes or alone, the grace to hold in honor the bonds of love and respect which bind the human race chosen for adoption as your children, through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Christ is born for us! Come, let us adore him, 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

 

Christ is born, go forth to meet him,

Christ by all the heavens adored;

Singing songs of welcome, greet him,

For the earth receives her Lord.

All ye nations, shout and sing,

For he comes, thy glorious king.

 

Wisdom, might, and Word eternal,

Glory of the Father, thou!

Hid from man and pow’rs supernal,

Lo, he wears our nature now!

To the Lord thy worship bring,

Praise him, thy victorious King.

 

CANTICLE (Colossians 1:12-16)

 

The grace of God has appeared, saving all! (Ti 2:11)

Over and over again during the Christmas liturgies, the Church repeats with wonder: we, who dwelt in the darkness of sin and death, have seen a great light!

 

Let us give thanks to the Father

for having made you worthy

to share the lot of the saints

in light.

 

He rescued us

from the power of darkness

and brought us

into the kingdom of his beloved Son.

Through him we have redemption,

the forgiveness of our sins.

 

He is the image of the invisible God,

the first-born of all creatures.

In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,

things visible and invisible.

 

Word of God (Hebrews 1:1-3)

 

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,/ who is the refulgence of his glory,/ the very imprint of his being,/ and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

 

The Word was made flesh, alleluia! (cf. Jn 1:14)

 

TE DEUM

 

He is God from God, Light from Light: come, let us adore him! (cf. Nicene Creed)

 

You are God: we praise you;

You are the Lord: we acclaim you;

You are the eternal Father:

All creation worships you.

 

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

 

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,

and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

 

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

the eternal Son of the Father.

 

When you became man to set us free

you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

 

You overcame the sting of death,

and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

 

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

 

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints

to glory everlasting.

 

INTERCESSIONS

 

To the Lord in whose coming we rejoice, we pray:

 

R/Virgin-born, we bow before you!

 

You are the fruit of the Virgin’s obedient faith:

– renew our faith in the joy of this wondrous day! R/

 

You are the Child of the Virgin’s long awaiting:

– renew our hope in the joy of this wondrous day! R/

 

You are the Son of the Virgin’s unhesitant love:

– renew our love in the joy of this wondrous day! R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

May the Word made flesh give us his peace and good will, and fellowship with all the heavenly host. Amen.

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Solemnity of Christmas, December 25

 

This day a Virgin inviolate

has brought forth God for us,

clothed in tender members,

whom she was found worthy to suckle;

let us all adore him,

who has come to save us.

 

 

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae 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.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25)

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Prayer for the Morning

 

The Savior is born!

Come, let us adore him, 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

 

What Child is this who laid to rest

On Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste, to bring him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

 

Why lies he in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

 

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come peasant, king, to own him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

 

PSALM 96:1-3, 11-13

 

Today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. (Lk 2:11)

A strange ruler, an unexpected judge: the Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace, born as a child among the world’s unimportant people. From the beginning, the Savior upsets every standard by which the unredeemed world has ruled itself. To celebrate Christmas in truth is to allow our eyes to be opened to God’s view of reality.

 

O sing a new song to the Lord,

sing to the Lord all the earth.

O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

 

Proclaim his help day by day,

tell among the nations his glory

and his wonders among all the peoples.

 

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

all the trees of the wood shout for joy

 

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

he comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

he will judge the peoples with his truth.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Isaiah 9:1, 5)

 

The people who walked in darkness/ have seen a great light;/ Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom/ a light has shone.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;/ upon his shoulder dominion rests./ They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,/ Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

And we have seen his glory! (cf. Jn 1:14)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

The Lord said to me: “You are my Son./ It is I who have begotten you this day.” (Ps 2:7)

 

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

 

Let us acclaim Christ the Lord:

R/We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you!

O Wisdom of God, you are our wisdom: R/

O Lord of lords, you are the newborn Child: R/

O Root of Jesse, you are the vine and we the branches: R/

O Key of David, you are the key to the gates of heaven: R/

O Dayspring, you are the light of the world: R/

O Ruler of the world, you are the Lord of lords: R/

O Emmanuel, you are God-with-us: R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace: we bless you for the gift of your great light. May all the world rejoice in your coming, O Savior and Lord, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

“Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us”

The meaning of the celebration

 

+ Since the fourth century, Christians have celebrated the feast of the Incarnation of Christ on the 25th day of December.

 

+ Marking the beginning of the Christmas Season, the Church celebrates the three comings of Christ: in history in his birth in Bethlehem, in mystery as he is born within us each day, and in majesty as we celebrate that he will come again at the end of time.

 

+ The Christmas Season begins at sundown on December 24 and continues until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday following the Epiphany.

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“As the angels said to the shepherds: ‘Do not be afraid!’. And I also repeat to all of you: Do not be afraid! Our Father is patient, he loves us, he gives us Jesus to guide us on the way which leads to the promised land. Jesus is the light who brightens the darkness. He is mercy: our Father always forgives us. He is our peace. Amen.”—Pope Francis

 

Spiritual Bonus

 

On December 25, the Church also remembers Saint Peter Nolasco, the 12th century French nobleman who founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy (the Mercedarians), a community devoted to ransoming enslaved and persecuted Christians from the Moors. Saint Peter died on Christmas Day, 1258, and was canonized in 1628.

Vocations

 

To learn about communities named for the Savior and the mystery of the Lord’s Nativity, visit the links below.

 

For men:

 

-The Society of the Divine Savior (the Salvatorian priests and brothers): www.salvatorians.com

 

For Women:

 

-The Sisters of the Divine Savior (the Salvatorian Sisters): www.sistersofthedivinesavior.org

-The Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus: www.hhcj.org

-The Society of the Holy Child Jesus: www.sjch.org/american

-The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Infant Jesus: www.fmijusa.org

-The Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague: www.carmeloftraverscity.org

-The Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague and Our Lady of Guadalupe: www.carmelsanantonio.org

-The Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Infant Jesus: www.lufkintxnuns.org

-The Benedictine Sisters of Emmanuel Monastery (Lutherville, MD): www.emmanuelosb.org

– The Carmelite Community of the Word: www.ccwsisters.org

 

Prayer

 

O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature

and still more wonderfully restored it,

grant, we pray,

that we may share in the divinity of Christ,

who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Vigil of Christmas

 

The Lord is near: come, let us adore him, 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

 

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming

From tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage coming,

As men of old have sung.

It came, a floweret bright,

Amid the cold of winter,

When half spent was the night.

 

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,

The Rose I have in mind;

With Mary we behold it,

The virgin mother kind.

To show God’s love aright,

She bore to them a Savior,

When half spent was the night.

 

Psalm 98:5-9

 

In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. (Ex 16:7)

The long silence of Advent’s waiting begins to break slowly, hesitantly into song as we listen for the first proclamation of the Good News: to you is born a Savior!

 

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp

with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

acclaim the King, the Lord.

 

Let the sea and all within it thunder;

the world, and all its peoples.

Let the rivers clap their hands

and the hills ring out their joy.

 

Rejoice at the presence of the Lord,

for he comes to rule the earth.

He will rule the world with justice

and the peoples with fairness.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God. Wisdom 18:14-15, 16b

 

When peaceful stillness compassed everything/ and the night in its swift course was half spent,/ Your all-powerful word from heaven’s royal throne/ ­bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land./ And as he alighted […],/ he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.

 

Our God comes, he keeps silence no longer. (Ps 50:3)

 

Te Deum

 

And the Word became flesh/ and made his dwelling among us. (Jn 1:14)

 

You are God: we praise you;

You are the Lord: we acclaim you;

You are the eternal Father:

All creation worships you.

 

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

 

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,

and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

 

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

the eternal Son of the Father.

 

When you became man to set us free

you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

 

You overcame the sting of death,

and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

 

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

 

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints

to glory everlasting.

 

Intercessions

 

To Christ the Savior we pray:

 

R/O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

 

Descend, O Truth from above,

– as dew from heaven upon our parched earth. R/

 

Rise up, O Faithful One and true,

– as our race’s redeemer, born in our midst. R/

 

Shine forth, O Light from light,

– as the glory of God in human flesh, upon this humble earth. R/

 

Personal intentions

 

Our Father….

 

May the glory of the Lord shine upon us now and for ever! Amen.

 

Marian Antiphon

 

Antiphon for the Solemnity of Christmas, December 25

 

This day a Virgin inviolate

has brought forth God for us,

clothed in tender members,

whom she was found worthy to suckle;

let us all adore him,

who has come to save us.

 

 

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae 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.

 

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… SAINT OF THE DAY: Adam and Eve

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… SAINT OF THE DAY: Adam and Eve

Our First Parents

Their story

 

+ While not honored as “Saints” in a formal sense, Adam and Eve have been celebrated in many countries on Christmas Eve since the Middle Ages.

+ In Germany, the day was marked by a “Paradise Play,” a telling of the story of salvation from Creation and the Fall (see Genesis 1-3) through the birth of Jesus. The plays often featured a Paradise Tree, whose branches were filled with red apples.

+ As the tradition developed, small white wafers—representing the Eucharist—were added to the tree as a sign of redemption.

+ In the 1880s the Paradise Tree became a popular decoration in people’s homes and glass balls soon replaced the apples hung on the tree, helping create the Christmas tree that we know today.

+ As the celebration of the Paradise Play reminded medieval Christians, the story of Adam and Eve is ultimately a story of salvation, recalling that immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a Savior who would come to restore humanity and all of creation to God’s grace.

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”—Romans 5:15

 

Spiritual bonus

 

A traditional Advent image for Christmas Eve is the Tree of Jesse. This medieval image was inspired by mystery plays that told the story of the Bible, celebrating the prophets and patriarchs who prepared the way for Mary and, ultimately, for her Son. The Tree depicts the ancestors of Jesus, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse, the father of King David, symbolizing the family tree of Jesus.

 

Prayer

 

Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus,

and do not delay,

that those who trust in your compassion

may find solace and relief in your coming.

Who live and reign with God the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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