PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6)
Prayer for the Evening
God is for us refuge and strength:
let us come before 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
God is our stronghold and our stay,
Our hope in tribulation;
What though the mountains rock and sway
To earth’s long-hid foundation?
What though the ocean roar,
Fast gaining on the shore,
The hurtling storm rage loud
Beneath the thunder cloud?
Our hearts are all untroubled.
Be still, the Lord is God alone,
Let all the world adore him,
And bending low before his throne,
For pitying grace implore him.
His kingdom is within,
O’er hearts made pure from sin,
Where love that casts out fear
Exults to feel him near,
The Lord of hosts our refuge.
PSALM 27:1-5
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:/ Be strong, fear not!/ Here is your God,/ he comes to save you. (cf. Is 35:4)
Christ is born! Christ has died! Christ is risen from the dead! No storm on earth can harm us now. His perfect love for us has cast out all reason for fear.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
When evil-doers draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savor the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
For there he keeps me safe in his tent
in the day of evil.
He hides me in the shelter of his tent,
on a rock he sets me safe.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Isaiah 40:9-10)
Go up onto a high mountain,/ Zion, herald of glad tidings;/ Cry out at the top of your voice,/ Jerusalem, herald of good news!/ Fear not to cry out/ and say to the cities of Judah:/ Here is your God!/ Here comes with power/ the Lord God,/ who rules by his strong arm;/ Here is his reward with him,/ his recompense before him.
Fear not, I am with you. (Is 41:10)
CANTICLE OF MARY
Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid! (Mk 6:50)
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 mysteries of Christmas and Epiphany, we celebrate with wonder the truth that in Christ God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. With confidence we pray to him:
R/You are our light and our helper!
For those who feel alone in a world too large for them:
– may they know the sheltering presence of your love. R/
For those who feel bewildered amid the storms that overtake them:
– may they know the safety that you give. R/
For those who feel afraid as death approaches:
– may they find their courage in your light. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
May God bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom! Amen. (cf. 2 Tm 4:18)
MARIAN ANTIPHON
Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1
The root of Jesse has budded,
a star has arisen from Jacob;
a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;
we praise you, our God.
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.
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
