PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22)
Prayer for the Morning
In Jesus Christ, God has done great things for us:
let us give thanks and 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
Creator of the stars of night,
Your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
We pray you hear us when we call.
In sorrow that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
You came, O Savior, to set free
Your own in glorious liberty.
You came, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to eventide:
Proceeding from a Virgin shrine,
The spotless Victim all divine.
When this old world drew on toward night,
You came; but not in splendor bright,
Not as a monarch, but the child
Of Mary, blameless mother mild.
At your great Name, O Jesus, now
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
All things on earth with one accord,
Like those in heav’n, shall call you Lord.
Come in your holy might, we pray,
Redeem us for eternal day;
Defend us while we dwell below
From all assaults of our dread foe.
PSALM 113
The Mighty One has done great things for me,/ and holy is his name. (Lk 1:49)
Mary gives voice to the rejoicing of the redeemed world: Christ was born among the poor to a Virgin, a childless wife; he was put to death, where dust returns to dust; he rose on high to the throne of glory at the right hand of the Father. Our Savior comes to raise us up!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from his misery he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home
and gladdens her heart with children.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Isaiah 11:1, 4)
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,/ and from his roots a bud shall blossom./ He shall judge the poor with justice,/ and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
His mercy is from age to age/ to those who fear him. (Lk 1:50)
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;/ my spirit rejoices in God my savior. (Lk 1:46-47)
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
To the Bread of Life sent to feed the hungry, we pray:
R/Come and reward your people’s hope.
Your Birth was announced by the prophets:
– strengthen those reborn in you. R/
You came to heal the contrite of heart:
– deliver your people from their sorrows. R/
You came to bring life to all the lowly, the afflicted, and the poor:
– console the childless, the aging, the hungry, and the oppressed. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
God our Father, you so loved the world that you sent your only Son to bring life to those who were without life. Raise up in him all those who long to be delivered from the oppression of sin and death. We rejoice in hope as we look forward to the celebration of his coming, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
