PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10)

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.