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.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
[Verse 2]
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
[Verse 3]
No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found
[Verse 4]
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love, and wonders of His love.
PSALMODY
Antiphon 1: Tell us, shepherds, what have you seen? Who has appeared on earth? We have seen a newborn infant and a choir of angels praising the Lord, alleuia.
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast. Glory…
Antiphon 1 Tell us, shepherds, what have you seen? Who has appeared on earth? We have seen a newborn infant and a choir of angels praising the Lord, alleuia.
Antiphon 2 The angel said to the shepherds: I proclaim to you great joy; Today the Savior of the world is born for you, alleluia.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. * All you winds, bless the Lord. Fire and heat, bless the Lord. * Cold and chill, bless the Lord. Dew and rain, bless the Lord. * Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. * Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord. * Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. * Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord. You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord. You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. * All you birds of the air, bless the Lord. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. * You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. * Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord. Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. * Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. * Let us praise and exalt him above all forever. Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. * Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.
Antiphon 2 The angel said to the shepherds: I proclaim to you great joy; Today the Savior of the world is born for you, alleluia.
Antiphon 3 A little child is born for us today; little and yet called the mighty God, alleluia.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained:
this honor is for all his faithful. Glory…
Antiphon 3 A little child is born for us today; little and yet called the mighty God, alleluia.
Gloria (please stand)
Opening Prayer
All sit for the Liturgy of the Word.
After the Homily:
INTERCESSIONS (Universal Prayer)
Let us pray to Christ, in whom, by the Father’s will, all things are restored.
Most loving Son of God, hear us.
Son of God, you were with the Father from the beginning and became man in the fullness of time:
– let us love everyone with a brotherly love.
You were made poor and your poverty enriched us; you emptied yourself so that by your lowliness we would be raised up and brought to share in your glory:
-make us faithful ministers of your Gospel.
We sat in the gloom and the shadow of death, and you brought us light:
-give us also virtue, justice and peace.
Give us sincere and upright hearts, that we may hear and receive your word:
may it bear ever more fruit in us and in the world.
Presider: Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that the newness of the Nativity in the flesh
of your Only Begotten Son may set us free,
for ancient servitude holds us bound
beneath the yoke of sin.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(All are seated for the Liturgy of the Eucharist)
After Holy Communion, all stand for the Benedictus.
BENEDICTUS/Canticle of Zachariah Benedictus – Luke 1: 68-79
Antiphon: At the Lord’s birth, the choirs of angels sang: Blessed be our God enthroned as King and blessed be the Lamb.
(While making the Sign of the Cross, we pray the following)
Blest be the God of Israel who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us: a Branch for David’s tree.
So have the prophets long declared that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies and all who wish us harm
.
With promised mercy will God still the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness to serve God all our days.
My child, as prophet of the Lord you will prepare the way,
to tell God’s people they are saved from sin’s eternal sway.
Then shall God’s mercy from on high shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death and lead us into peace.
Antiphon: At the Lord’s birth, the choirs of angels sang: Blessed be our God enthroned as King and blessed be the Lamb.
Prayer After Communion
Novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help
Dismissal & Final Blessing