Introductory Rite:
God, come to my assistance R/ Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R/ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
PSALMODY
Antiphon 1:You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you..
The Lord’s revelation to my Master: ”Sit on my right: your foes I will put beneath your feet.”
The Lord will yield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedeck of old.”
The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head. Glory…
Antiphon 1:You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Antiphon 2 With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.
My soul is waiting for the Lord.
I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity. Glory…
Antiphon 2 With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Antiphon 3 In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
All were created through him;
all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
It is he who is head of the body, the church;
he who is the beginning,
the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.
It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross. Glory…
Antiphon 3 In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
READING Ephesians 2:3b-5
By nature we deserved God’s wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ. By this favor you have been saved.
RESPONSORY
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
He lived among us.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: The holy Virgin gave birth to God, who became for us the frail, tender baby she nursed at her breast. Let us worship the Lord who comes to save us
(Tune to Amazing Grace/New Britain)
My soul proclaims the Lord my God My spirit sings his praiseHe looks on me, he lifts me upAnd gladness fills my days
All nations now will share my joy His gifts he has outpoured
His little ones he has made graet I magnify the Lord
His mercy is forever moreHis name I praise againHis strong righ arm puts down the proud And raises lowly men
He fills the hungry with good things The rich he sends awayThe promise made to AbrahamIs filled by him each day
Antiphon: You, O Lord, are the One whose coming was foretold, we long for you to come and set your people free.
INTERCESSIONS
God sent his Son, fashioned from a woman, made subject to the law, to redeem those under the law. Trusting in this hope let us pray with confidence:
May the favor of your Son be with us, Lord.
God of love and peace, renew the faith of all Christians in the incarnation of Christ your Son, – that they may give thanks at all times.
Increase the hope of the weak, the poor and the aged – give relief to the oppressed, confidence to those who despair, consolation to those who mourn.
Be mindful of all those in prison – and of those driven from their homeland.
You let the angels be heard praising you at the birth of your Son – let the departed praise you for ever with this heavenly host.
Pater Noster
Pater noster, qui es in cælis
Sanctificétur nomen tuum
Advéniat regnum tuum
Fiat volúntas tua
Sicut in cælo et in terra
Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie
Et dimítte nobis débita nostra
Sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris
Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem
Sed libera nos a malo
Amen
COLLECT
Lord God,
We praise you for creating man,
And still more for restoring him to Christ.
Your Son shared our weakness,
May we share his glory,
For He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen
Final Blessing and Dismissal