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.
