PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11)
Saint Damasus I
Prayer for the Morning
Christ is our salvation: come, let us adore!
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
Hark! a herald voice is calling:
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!”
Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.
Canticle of Jeremiah 17:5-8
If you would hearken to my commandments,/ your prosperity would be like a river,/ and your vindication like the waves of the sea. (Is 48:18)
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we are asked to choose which gift we really want. Will we welcome God’s gift of his Son as the source of life, or will we drift to the tune of whatever music is played in the marketplace, until, rootless, we wither and die in the desert?
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Sirach 15:14-17)
When God, in the beginning, created man,/ he made him subject to his own free choice./ If you choose you can keep the commandments;/ it is loyalty to do his will./ There are set before you fire and water;/ to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand./ Before man are life and death,/ whichever he chooses shall be given him.
If anyone fears the Lord/ he will show him
the path he should choose. (Ps 25:12)
Canticle of Zechariah
When you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, all these blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you. (Dt 28:2)
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 preaches the Good News of the Gospel and challenges us to choose the life he offers. Let us pray for the gift of wisdom to choose aright.
R/You are our salvation, Lord!
You are the way to life:
– may we walk by your ways. R/
You are the source of life:
– may we choose the fruit of life rather than the fruit of disobedience and death. R/
You are the fulfillment of God’s promise:
– may we heed your voice. R/
Personal intentions
Our Father….
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the true fruit of the tree of life. Make wise all those who are tempted by the forbidden fruit, that they may taste and see how good you are, who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
