Prayer for the Evening

Let us speak of the glory of God’s reign

and declare the Lord’s might!

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 John, rejoice this hallowed day

The triumph of the cross to hail,

Whereon with Christ ’twas thine to stay,

Transfixed with pang of spear and nail!

Nor insults, scorn, nor cruel scourge,

Bondage, nor hunger can restrain

The love thy panting soul doth urge

To taste the bitter draught of pain.

Thine only joy, thy sole reward,

The boon for which thy spirit sighed,

To mirror here thy suffering Lord,

Like him in anguish crucified.

While thou dost search the mystic night,

Through darkness gleams a radiant star,

And Carmel’s camp is all alight,

With flame that leads to heights afar.

Let them that dwell in bliss above

Praise thee, O Christ, with joyful lay,

Let them that run to thee in love

Pursue, like John, the thorn-strewn way.

PSALM 42:2-6

I am the Lord, your God,/ who grasp your right hand;/ It is I who say to you, “Fear not,/ I will help you.” (Is 41:13)

Water for the thirsty, bread for the hungry, a strong hand for the uncertain: these are among the loveliest of the messianic promises. Repentance, penance look unappealing only to the short-sighted. Whatever changes the Lord’s coming requires of us, their purpose is simply to prepare us to receive the overwhelming abundance of the love he brings. This is the trust that animated the hard work of ­contemplative surrender to which Saint John of the Cross was committed.

Like the deer that years

for running streams,

so my soul is yearning

for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God,

the God of my life;

when can I enter and see

the face of God?

My tears have become my bread,

by night, by day,

as I hear it said all the day long:

“Where is your God?”

These things will I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I would lead the rejoicing crowd

into the house of God,

amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,

the throng wild with joy.

Why are you cast down, my soul,

why groan within me?

Hope in God; I will praise him still,

my savior and my God.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Isaiah 58:11)

The Lord will guide you always/ and give you plenty even on the parched land./ He will renew your strength,/ and you shall be like a watered garden,/ like a spring whose water never fails.

That all may see and know,/ observe and understand,/ That the hand of the Lord has done this. (Is 41:20)

Canticle of Mary

You shall rejoice in the Lord,/ and glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Is 41:16)

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

Christ shines unseen in the dark night of the soul. As evening falls, let us pray through the intercession of Saint John of the Cross that we will stand firm in faith until morning breaks.

R/You are our light.

O Lord, when we do not see your light,

– keep us faithful in our darkness. R/

O Lord, when we do not hear your voice,

– help us to persevere in prayer through the silence. R/

O Lord, when we do not feel your presence,

– make us stronger in love than in doubt. R/

O Lord, when we see the approach of death and not of life,

– keep alight in us the torch of hope. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May the God in whose ways/ our fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,/ The God who has been our shepherd/ from our birth to this day,/ The Angel who has delivered us from all harm,/ bless us and keep us in peace. Amen. (cf. Gn 48:15-16)

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 the Evening

Christ is our joy! 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

Rejoice, rejoice, believers,

and let your lights appear.

The evening is advancing,

and darker night is near.

The Bridegroom is arising,

and soon he will draw nigh.

Up, pray, and watch, and wrestle:

At midnight comes the cry.

Our hope and expectation,

O Jesus, now appear!

Arise, thou Sun so longed for,

o’er this benighted sphere!

With hearts and hands uplifted,

we plead, O Lord, to see

The day of earth’s redemption

that brings us unto thee.

You saints, who here in patience

your cross and sufferings bore,

Shall live and reign forever,

when sorrow is no more.

Around the throne of glory

the Lamb you shall behold;

In triumph cast before him

your diadems of gold!

PSALM 20:2-7

Rejoice always! (1 Thes 5:16)

In Advent, we rejoice not because of any passing achievement or surface pleasure but because our Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God, comes to put an end to every ill that quenches true joy in this world. In the reality of his present coming and the hope of his future coming in glory, we truly can rejoice always.

May the Lord answer in time of trial;

may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.

May he send you help from his shrine

and give you support from Zion.

May he remember all your offerings

and receive your sacrifice with favor.

May he give you your heart’s desire

and fulfill every one of your plans.

May we ring out our joy at your victory

and rejoice in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your prayers.

I am sure now that the Lord

will give victory to his anointed,

will reply from his holy heaven

with the mighty victory of his hand.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Philippians 4:4-7)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The favors of the Lord I will recall/

the glorious deeds of the Lord,/

Because of all he has done for us. (Is 63:7)

CANTICLE OF MARY

Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!/ This is the Lord for whom we looked;/ let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! (Is 25:9)

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 joy let us pray:

R/You are our salvation, Lord!

In the midst of sin and sorrow: R/

In the midst of injustice and oppression: R/

In the midst of all our needs: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May our faith rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God! Amen. (cf. 1 Cor 2:5)

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 the Evening

Vigil of the Third Sunday of Advent

The Lord will reign for ever:

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

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,

Great David’s greater son!

Hail, in the time appointed,

His reign on earth begun!

He comes to break oppression,

To set the captive free;

To take away transgression

And rule in equity.

He comes with succor speedy

To those who suffer wrong;

To help the poor and needy,

And bid the weak be strong;

To give them songs for sighing,

Their darkness turn to light,

Whose souls, condemned and dying,

Were precious in his sight.

PSALM 146:5-10

He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,/ to heal the broken­hearted,/ To proclaim liberty to the captives/ and release to the prisoners. (Is 61:1)

Christ’s coming is Good News to those who are aware of their emptiness and need. For them it is a cause for rejoicing. It spells loss, however, for those who are full of themselves, their own importance, and their possessions.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who alone made heaven and earth,

the seas and all they contain.

It is he who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free,

the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down,

the Lord, who protects the stranger

and upholds the widow and orphan.

It is the Lord who loves the just

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Isaiah 57:15)

Thus says he who is high and exalted,/ living eternally, whose name is the Holy One:/ On high I dwell, and in holiness,/ and with the crushed and dejected in ­spirit,/ To revive the spirits of the dejected,/ to revive the hearts of the crushed.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,/ for theirs

is the ­kingdom of heaven.

(Mt 5:3)

CANTICLE OF MARY

The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord,/ and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. (Is 29:19)

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

With joyful anticipation, let us pray to the Lord whose coming we await:

R/Our hope is in you, O Lord.

For those who are in need of any sort:

– fill and heal them at your coming. R/

For those who serve those in need:

– bless them at your coming. R/

For those who have passed through the self-emptying of death:

– reward them at your coming. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the Lord be kind and faithful to us. Amen. (cf. 2 Sm 2:6)

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 the Evening

Christ is the light: come, let us seek his way!

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 Son of God, O sovereign Word,

What human thought may span

The mystery of how in time

You came as Son of Man.

Bring light into our hearts and touch

With fire our languid minds;

The herald bids us loose with love

Whatever sin still binds.

That when as judge you come to pay

The wages of desire,

To give your kingdom to the just

And to the wicked fire,

We may not then in pride join those

Who spurn your gracious word,

But with the blest eternally

May sing your praises, Lord.

PSALM 25:8-14

I, the Lord, your God,/ teach you what is for your good,/ and lead you on the way you should go. (Is 48:17)

Let us walk toward the rising of the Sun of Justice, whose light will dawn upon the waiting world at Advent’s end, and at time’s end.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

he guides the humble in the right path;

he teaches his way to the poor.

His ways are faithfulness and love

for those who keep his covenant and law.

Lord, for the sake of your name

forgive my guilt; for it is great.

If anyone fears the Lord

he will show him the path he should choose.

His soul shall live in happiness

and his children shall possess the land.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (John 12:35-36)

Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.

Lord, make me know your ways./

Lord, teach me your paths. (Ps 25:4)

CANTICLE OF MARY

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (Jn 8:12)

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

Let us pray for the light to walk in Christ’s footsteps toward the coming of the morning for which we hope:

R/You teach your way to the poor!

For those who have never known you:

– open to them the road to your kingdom by the words and example of your people. R/

For those who have known you but have left your paths:

– bring them back again to celebrate with joy the feast of your coming. R/

For those who are lost in darkness:

– guide them into your everlasting light. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the God of infinite goodness drive far from us the darkness of vice and illumine our hearts with the light of virtue. 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 the Evening

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

graciously hear us, O Lord.

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 Saints are high in glory,

With golden crowns so bright;

But brighter far is Mary,

Upon her throne of light.

Oh, that which God did give thee,

Let mortal ne’er disclaim,

When wicked men blaspheme thee,

I’ll love and bless thy name.

But in the crown of Mary,

There lies a wondrous gem,

As Queen of all the Angels,

Which Mary shares with them;

“No sin hath e’er defiled thee”

So doth our faith proclaim:

When wicked men blaspheme thee,

I’ll love and bless thy name.

And now, O Virgin Mary,

My Mother and my Queen,

I’ve sung thy praise—so bless me,

And keep my heart from sin.

When others jeer and mock thee,

I’ll often think how I,

To shield my Mother Mary,

Would lay me down and die.

PSALM 121

Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? (Mt 2:49)

In the Holy House of Loreto, the Word took on flesh and dwelt among us. He came so that we might come to live with him forever in the New Jerusalem. We rejoice in his presence among us on earth even as we hope to enjoy it in the splendor of heaven forever.

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

“Let us go to God’s house.”

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgment

of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

in your palaces, peace!”

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: “Peace upon you!”

For love of the house of the Lord

I will ask for your good.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (John 19: 25–27)

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

And coming to her, the angel said,

“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

(cf Lk 1:28)

CANTICLE OF MARY

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth (Lk 2:39).

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

Let us invoke the Blessed Virgin, mother of Jesus and our mother, with filial affection:

R/Show that you are our mother!

Mother of Good Counsel, pray for all those whose path is uncertain,

– that they may be brought safely toward an eternal home in heaven. R/

Mother of our Creator, pray for all those whom your divine Son has made,

– that they may worship him as the source and end of their being. R/

Mother of our Savior, pray for all whom your divine Son came to save,

– that they may gratefully accept the salvation he freely offers. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father…

May we become fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. (cf. Eph 2:19-20)

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.