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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24)

Prayer for the Morning

 

Jesus Christ is Son of God and Son of Man:

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 King shall come when morning dawns,

And light triumphant breaks;

When beauty gilds the eastern hills,

And life to joy awakes.

 

O brighter than that glorious morn

Shall this fair morning be,

When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,

And we his face shall see.

 

The King shall come when morning dawns,

And earth’s dark night is past;

O haste the rising of that morn,

The day that aye shall last.

 

The King shall come when morning dawns,

And light and beauty brings:

Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,

Come quickly, King of kings.

 

CANTICLE (Daniel 3:52-57)

 

Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform wonders among you. (Jos 3:5)

“Tomorrow” is the Church’s cry of faith as we look forward in joy to the coming of the Lord. Our faith is based on the promise of salvation kept in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem; our faith is sustained by our annual remembrance of that mystery; our faith is deepened by the years of our preparation for Christ’s coming in glory.

 

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

 

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

 

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

 

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

 

Blessed are you who look into the depths

from your throne upon the cherubim,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

 

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

praiseworthy and glorious forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Galatians 4:4-7)

 

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

 

The Lord himself will give you this sign:

the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,

and shall name him Immanuel. (Is 7:14)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

This sign shall take place tomorrow. (Ex 8:19)

 

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

 

On the threshold of Christmas, let us pray:

 

R/Come and reward your people’s hope!

 

You are the gift of God’s ever-present love:

– renew in this holy season the love for which all hearts long. R/

 

You are the bond that cannot be broken:

– reunite in this season of peace those who have broken bonds of relationship with one another. R/

 

You are our peace:

– restore in this holy season peace in our own hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, and our warring world. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the peace that binds the human race in one. As we prepare to celebrate with joy the feast of your birth, renew in all hearts the love of God and neighbor that is the true sign of your Kingdom come, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22)

Prayer for the Morning

 

In Jesus Christ, God has done great things for us:

let us give thanks and praise!

 

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

 

Creator of the stars of night,

Your people’s everlasting light,

O Christ, Redeemer of us all,

We pray you hear us when we call.

 

In sorrow that the ancient curse

Should doom to death a universe,

You came, O Savior, to set free

Your own in glorious liberty.

 

You came, the Bridegroom of the bride,

As drew the world to eventide:

Proceeding from a Virgin shrine,

The spotless Victim all divine.

 

When this old world drew on toward night,

You came; but not in splendor bright,

Not as a monarch, but the child

Of Mary, blameless mother mild.

 

At your great Name, O Jesus, now

All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;

All things on earth with one accord,

Like those in heav’n, shall call you Lord.

 

Come in your holy might, we pray,

Redeem us for eternal day;

Defend us while we dwell below

From all assaults of our dread foe.

 

PSALM 113

 

The Mighty One has done great things for me,/ and holy is his name. (Lk 1:49)

Mary gives voice to the rejoicing of the redeemed world: Christ was born among the poor to a Virgin, a childless wife; he was put to death, where dust returns to dust; he rose on high to the throne of glory at the right hand of the Father. Our Savior comes to raise us up!

 

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

May the name of the Lord be blessed

both now and for evermore!

From the rising of the sun to its setting

praised be the name of the Lord!

 

High above all nations is the Lord,

above the heavens his glory.

Who is like the Lord, our God,

who has risen on high to his throne

yet stoops from the heights to look down,

to look down upon heaven and earth?

 

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,

from his misery he raises the poor

to set him in the company of princes,

yes, with the princes of his people.

To the childless wife he gives a home

and gladdens her heart with children.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Isaiah 11:1, 4)

 

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,/ and from his roots a bud shall blossom./ He shall judge the poor with justice,/ and decide aright for the land’s ­afflicted.

His mercy is from age to age/ to those who fear him. (Lk 1:50)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;/ my spirit rejoices in God my savior. (Lk 1:46-47)

 

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 Bread of Life sent to feed the hungry, we pray:

 

R/Come and reward your people’s hope.

 

Your Birth was announced by the prophets:

– strengthen those reborn in you. R/

 

You came to heal the contrite of heart:

– deliver your people from their sorrows. R/

 

You came to bring life to all the lowly, the afflicted, and the poor:

– console the childless, the aging, the hungry, and the oppressed. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

God our Father, you so loved the world that you sent your only Son to bring life to those who were without life. Raise up in him all those who long to be delivered from the oppression of sin and death. We rejoice in hope as we look forward to the celebration of his ­coming, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Turn to Our Lady of Expectation for the last graces of Advent

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Turn to Our Lady of Expectation for the last graces of Advent

She is celebrated on a uniquely named day: The Feast of the O.

 

As explained in this article, the Church, specifically the local church in Spain, historically celebrated a fascinating feast on December 18 called “The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” It can be traced back to the 7th century and was originally the feast of the Annunciation.

 

The feast especially invites the faithful to envision what it was like to be the Blessed Virgin Mary, about to give birth to the Savior of the world.

But naturally, to accompany this feast, there is devotion to Our Lady of Expectation.

 

 

 

Benedict XVI spoke of her with this title in a prayer: O Mary, Virgin of expectation and Mother of hope, revive the spirit of Advent in your entire Church …

One image of her is in a parish of St. James the Apostle in Seville, Spain. It traces back to the early 17th century, when María de Guzmán, daughter of the dukes of Olivares, was expecting her third child after having lost her first two babies shortly after their births. Her parents entreated Our Lady, under this advocation, for the life of their wee grandchild, founding a Franciscan convent with this image.

 

 

 

Our Lady is kneeling, dressed in lovely tones of red and orange, and a small circle on her womb is as a window, revealing to us the tiny Jesus inside. The sweet expression on her face shows the anticipation she has for the imminent arrival of the Child.

Other images can be found throughout Spain. In Valencia, for example, we find Our Lady of Expectation with the sun on her garment, which stretches over her enlarged womb. Others show her simply resting her hand on her swollen womb, in a typical pose for a pregnant mother.

 

 

OUR LADY OF EXPECTATION

 

An interesting twist to this devotion is that she is also known as Our Lady of the O, and her December 18 feast day, the Feast of the O.

This of course comes from the fact that on December 18, the Church has just begun to pray with the O Antiphons.

The great O Antiphons –– seven antiphons, or short chants, are sung at the beginning of the Magnifica each evening at Vespers (Evening Prayer) from December 17 through December 23.

 

The O Antiphons have been chanted in the Church since at least the 8th century. There are many levels to the symbolism and foreshadowing of the antiphons. Individually, they each speak on their own, addressing our Lord by a different title or name given to him in Old Testament prophecies, imploring him to come and save his people. These antiphons are called the “O Antiphons” because each chant begins with great cry, “O …” :

 

O Sapientia — O Wisdom
O Adonai — O Lord
O Radix Jesse — O Root of Jesse
O Clavis David — O Key of David
O Oriens — O Dayspring
O Rex Gentium — O King of the Nations
O Emmanuel — O God with Us

 

So as we head into these last days of Advent, we call on the Virgin of Expectation and Mother of Hope, the Lady of the O, and ask her to intercede for us, that we might embrace her Son with the same fervor that she has.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (MONDAY, DECEMBER 21)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (MONDAY, DECEMBER 21)

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

 

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 (MONDAY, DECEMBER 21)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (MONDAY, DECEMBER 21)

Saint Peter Canisius

 

Prayer for the Morning

 

In Jesus Christ, God has come among his people:

let us give thanks and praise!

 

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

 

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. (Song 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, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20)

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.(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

 

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

 

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 EVENING (SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19)

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

 

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 (SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19)

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19)

Prayer for the Morning

 

Age to age proclaims God’s works:

let us acclaim him with songs of praise!

 

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 moon with borrowed light

Gives witness to the sun,

Discreetly fading with the night

When morning has begun.

John’s borrowed light was drawn

From heaven’s vibrant rays,

His life a witness to the dawn

Of Christ’s approaching blaze.

 

The clouds of sin yet mask

Earth’s tangled, stubbly ground,

And O how many hearts still ask

Where God’s clear path is found.

For borrowed light we pray

So we may be a sign

That points to Christ, the truth, the way,

The life, the light divine.

 

PSALM 14:51-7

 

Lo, I will send you/ Elijah, the prophet,/ Before the day of the Lord comes,/ the great and terrible day. (Mal 3:23)

Like Elijah, the fiery, uncompromising Old Testament prophet, John the Baptist announced not only that the Messiah was coming but that those who wanted to receive him must be prepared to make serious changes in their hearts and their lives. God’s demands are not always sweet to the ears.

 

I will give you glory, O God my King,

I will bless your name for ever.

 

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

 

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendor and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

 

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Luke 1:17)

 

He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.

 

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

not counting their trespasses against them

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:19)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

You are destined, it is written, in time to come/ to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord,/ To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons. (Sir 48:10)

 

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

 

Christ comes to us daily. Let us turn our hearts to him in prayer:

 

R/Yours is splendor and glory, power and might!

 

Lord, by your coming, you call us to reconciliation with God:

– grant us a true spirit of contrition and a deep desire for conversion. R/

 

Lord, by your coming, you call us to reconciliation with family and friends:

– grant us the humility to seek and to bestow pardon. R/

 

Lord, by your coming, you call us to reconciliation with all those who make up our world:

– grant us the willingness to abandon prejudice, injustice, and disrespect for others. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

Lord our God, you sent your prophets to call all people to abandon their unfaithful pursuits and to return to you with all their hearts in preparation for the day of your coming. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ the Lord, recall us to the Gospel and grant us true conversion, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18)

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18)

Prayer for the Evening

 

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

 

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 18)

raphael
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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18)

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 the people of the first covenant who kept alive the memory of God’s promise. 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, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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