Dec 30, Invitatory – Feast for Holy Family
Lord, open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant.
The Lord is God, the mighty God,
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people,
the flock he shepherds.
Ant.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant.
Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph.
Dec 30, Office of Readings – Feast for Holy Family
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 649
Proper of Seasons: 424
Psalms from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1328
Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings.
Office of Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
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
Did you wonder where he’d lead you?
Were you afraid of what the world might say?
I feel you understand my fears today
I feel you standing by my side.
You taught the child to be a man
A man whose life my freedom won,
Yours was the shoulder that he rested on
You have the Savoir in your arms.
St Joseph pray for me that I may live my life with Jesus as you did
St Joseph pray for me that at the hour of my death He may hold me
St Joseph pray for me,
That I may follow where the Spirit leads me
Chaste husband of the Virgin wife
Wise guardian of the Bread of Life,
The One beheld the Son of God
St Joseph pray for me!
The little hands that played with wood
The little boy who you called “son”,
You always knew he was the chosen one
Who’d one day hang upon a cross.
Yet you lived to do the Father’s will
Fearlessly followed His commands,
You were the loving and gentle man
He chose to guide his precious One.
St Joseph pray for me that I may live my life with Jesus as you did
St Joseph pray for me that at the hour of my death He may hold me
St Joseph pray for me,
That I may follow where the Spirit leads me
Chaste husband of the Virgin wife
Wise guardian of the Bread of Life,
The One beheld the Son of God
St Joseph pray for me!
“Prayer to St. Joseph (Husband of Mary)” Sung by Angelina is available from Amazon.com
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 When his parents brought the Child Jesus into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things,
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant.
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.
Ant.
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.
Ant. When his parents brought the Child Jesus into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.
Ant. 2 The Magi entered the house and found the child with Mary, his mother.
Psalm 46
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
Ant.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Ant.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken:
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
Ant.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Ant.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth;
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps.
He burns the shields with fire.
Be still and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!”
Ant.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Ant.
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.
Ant. The Magi entered the house and found the child with Mary, his mother.
Ant. 3 Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt.
Psalm 87
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
Ant.
Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called Mother
for all shall be her children.”
Ant.
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
These are her children,
and while they dance they will sing:
In you all find their home.
Ant.
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.
Ant. Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
Your children will be taught by the Lord himself.
– He will bless them with fullness of peace.
READINGS
First reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians
5:21—6:4
Christian life in the family and in society
Defer to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be submissive to their husbands as if to the Lord because the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of his body the church, as well as its savior. As the church submits to Christ, so wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her to make her holy, purifying her in the bath of water by the power of the word, to present to himself a glorious church, holy and immaculate, without stain or wrinkle or anything of that sort. Husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Observe that no one ever hates his own flesh; no, he nourishes it and takes care of it as Christ cares for the church—for we are members of his body.
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother,
and shall cling to his wife, and the two shall be made into one.”
This is a great foreshadowing; I mean that it refers to Christ and the church. In any case, each one should love his wife as he loves himself, the wife for her part showing respect for her husband.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for that is what is expected of you. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment to carry a promise with it — “that it may go well with you, and that you may have long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not anger your children. Bring them up with the training and instruction befitting the Lord.
RESPONSORY Ephesians 6:1-2; Luke 2:51
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for that is your duty;
– honor your father and your mother.
Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth; there he lived and was obedient to them.
– Honor your father and your mother.
Second reading
From an address by Pope Paul VI
Nazareth, a model
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing, some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.
First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplifying its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings; in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children—and for this there is no substitute.
Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value—demanding yet redeeming—and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well being.
RESPONSORY 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 5:9; Colossians 3:23
Have a rejoicing heart, try to grow holy, help one another, keep united, live in peace.
– Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts.
What ever you do, put your whole self into it, as if for the Lord and not for men.
– Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts.
TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
– Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
– We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
– Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy,
– for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
– And we shall never hope in vain.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life
and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
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.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
Dec 30, Morning Prayer – Feast for Holy Family
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 653
Propers: 428
Psalter: Sunday, Week I, 686
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Propers: 154
Psalter: Sunday, Week I, 706
Morning Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Family
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
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
Virgin-born, we bow before thee:
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.
Blessed was the breast that fed thee;
blessed was the hand that led thee;
blessed was the parent’s eye
that watched thy slumbering infancy.
Blessed she by all creation,
who brought forth the world’s salvation,
and blessed they, for ever blest,
who love thee most and serve thee best.
Virgin-born, we bow before thee;
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.
Words: Reginald Heber, 1827; Music: Genevan Psalm 86 (Mon Dieu, Prete-moi l’Oreille), Urquell aller Seligkeiten; Meter: 88 77 D
Virgin-born, we bow before thee by Wakefield Cathedral Choir is available from Amazon.com
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The parents of Jesus went each year to Jerusalem for the solemn feast of Passover.
Psalm 63:2-9
A soul thirsting for God
Whoever has left the darkness of sin yearns for God.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant. The parents of Jesus went each year to Jerusalem for the solemn feast of Passover.
Ant. 2 The child grew in wisdom and strength, and the favor of God was upon him.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Let all creatures praise the Lord
All you servants of the Lord, sing praise to him (Revelation 19:5).
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant. The child grew in wisdom and strength, and the favor of God was upon him.
Ant. 3 His father and mother were full of wonder at what was said about their child.
Psalm 149
The joy of God’s holy people.
Let the sons of the Church, the children of the new people, rejoice in Christ, their King (Hesychius).
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant.
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.
Ant. His father and mother were full of wonder at what was said about their child.
READING Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord, your God, has commanded you, that you may have a long life and prosperity in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
You were obedient to Mary and Joseph,
– have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. Lord, give us light through the example of your family and guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner
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, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Lord, give us light through the example of your family and guide our feet into the way of peace.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us adore the Son of the living God who humbled himself to become a son of a human family, and let us beseech him:
– Jesus, you became obedient; sanctify us.
Jesus, eternal Word of the Father, you made yourself subject to Mary and Joseph, teach us humility.
– Jesus, you became obedient; sanctify us.
You are our teacher, and your own mother pondered in her heart every one of your words and deeds, make us attentive to your word, and let us ponder it in hearts that are pure and good.
– Jesus, you became obedient; sanctify us.
Christ, by your work the world was made, but you were willing to be called a worker’s son, teach us to work diligently.
– Jesus, you became obedient; sanctify us.
Jesus, in the family at Nazareth you grew in wisdom, age, and grace before God and men, help us to grow in all things toward you, our Head.
– Jesus, you became obedient; sanctify us.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
O God,
who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life
and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
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.
– Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
Dec 30, Sext – Feast for Holy Family
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 658
Proper of Seasons: 431 (Midday)
Psalter: Friday, Week I, 773
Midday Prayer (Sext) for the Feast of Holy Family, using the Current Psalmody
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
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
O heavenly Word, eternal Light,
begotten of the Father’s might,
who in these latter days wast born
for blessing to a world forlorn;
pour light upon us from above,
and fire our hearts with ardent love,
that, as we hear thy truth today,
all wrong may burn away;
and when, as judge, thou drawest nigh
the secrets of our hearts to try,
to recompense each hidden sin
and bid the saints their reign begin;
O let us not, for evil past,
be driven from thy face at last,
but with thy saints for evermore
behold thee, love thee, and adore.
To God the Father, God the Son
and God the Spirit ever one,
Praise, honor, might and glory be
from age to age eternally.
“O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light” performed by The Schola Cantorum of St. Peter’s in the Loop Words: Verbum supernum prodiens, Attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), ca. 1263
PSALMODY
Ant. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
Psalm 119:25-32
IV (Daleth)
My soul lies in the dust;
by your word revive me.
I declared my ways and you answered:
teach me your statutes.
Make me grasp the way of your precepts
and I will muse on your wonders.
My soul pines away with grief;
by your word raise me up.
Keep me from the way of error
and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of truth
with your decrees before me.
I bind myself to do your will;
Lord, do not disappoint me.
I will run the way of your commands;
you give freedom to my heart.
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.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, we are citizens of this earth and ask to be made citizens of heaven by your free gift. Help us to run in the way of your commandments and to set our hearts on ou alone.
Psalm 26
Trusting prayer of an innocent man
God chose us in Christ to be holy and sinless (Ephesians 1:4).
Give judgment for me, O Lord:
for I walk the path of perfection.
I trust in the Lord; I have not wavered.
Examine me, Lord, and try me;
O test my heart and my mind,
for your love is before my eyes
and I walk according to your truth.
I never take my place with liars
and with hypocrites I shall not go.
I hate the evil-doer’s company:
I will not take my place with the wicked.
To prove my innocence I wash my hands
and take my place around your altar,
singing a song of thanksgiving,
proclaiming all your wonders.
O Lord, I love the house where you dwell,
the place where your glory abides.
Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men
in whose hands are evil plots,
whose right hands are filled with gold.
As for me, I walk the path of perfection.
Redeem me and show me your mercy.
My foot stands on level ground:
I will bless the Lord in the assembly.
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.
Psalm-prayer
Send the fire of your Holy Spirit deep within us, Lord, so that we can serve you with chaste bodies and please you with pure minds.
Psalm 28:1-3, 6-9
Entreaty and thanksgiving
Father, I thank you, for you have heard my prayer ( John 11:41).
To you, O Lord, I call,
my rock, hear me.
If you do not heed I shall become
like those in the grave.
Hear the voice of my pleading
as I call for help,
as I lift up my hands in prayer
to your holy place.
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evil-doers,
who speak words of peace to their neighbors
but with evil in their hearts.
Blessed be the Lord for he has heard
my cry, my appeal.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts.
I was helped, my heart rejoices
and I praise him with my song.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress where his anointed find salvation.
Save your people; bless Israel your heritage.
Be their shepherd and carry them for ever.
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.
Psalm-prayer
You are the strength of the people, Father. Save us from the pit of death and unite us as one in your holy temple, so that we may attain in our hearts the peace our tongues proclaim.
Ant. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
READING Colossians 3:14-15
Over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Christ’s peace must reign in your hearts, since as members of one body you have been called to that peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
I am a poor man. I have worked since my youth.
– I was raised up only to be brought low and left bewildered.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
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.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
Dec 30, Evening Prayer II – Feast for Holy Family
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 667
Propers: 432
Psalms from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1345
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Propers: 156
Psalms from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1378
Evening Prayer II for the Feast of the Holy Family
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
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
Sing of Mary, pure and lowly:
Virgin mother, undefiled.
Sing of God’s own Son, Most Holy,
Who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest mother:
God the Lord, Who came to earth:
Word made flesh, our very brother,
Takes our nature by His birth.
Sing of Jesus, son of Mary:
In the home at Nazareth:
Toil and labour cannot weary
Love enduring unto death.
Constant was the love He gave her:
Though He went forth from her side:
Forth to preach and heal and suffer,
Till on Calvary He died.
Glory be to God the Father.
Glory be to God the Son.
Glory be to God the Spirit.
Glory to the Three in One.
“Sing of Mary, pure and lowly” performed by Gretchen Harris; Text: William Chatterton Dix, 1837-1898; Music: 16th Century English Melody;
Sing of Mary by Gretchen Harris is available from Amazon.com
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 After three days, Jesus was found in the temple, seated in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
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.
Ant. After three days, Jesus was found in the temple, seated in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions.
Ant. 2 Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth; there he lived and was obedient to them.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat:
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
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.
Ant. Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth; there he lived and was obedient to them.
Ant. 3 Jesus grew in wisdom with the years and was pleasing to God and men.
Canticle — Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior
Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.
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.
Ant. Jesus grew in wisdom with the years and was pleasing to God and men.
READING Philippians 2:6-7
Though he was in the form of God, Christ Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
He had to become like his brothers in every way to show the fullness of his mercy.
– He had to become like his brothers in every way to show the fullness of his mercy.
He was seen on earth and lived among men and women,
– to show the fullness of his mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– He had to become like his brothers in every way to show the fullness of his mercy.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. Son, why have you done this to us? Think what anguish your father and I have endured looking for you. But why did you look for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
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, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Son, why have you done this to us? Think what anguish your father and I have endured looking for you. But why did you look for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?
INTERCESSIONS
Let us adore the Son of the living God who humbled himself to become a son of a human family, and let us proclaim:
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
Christ, by the mystery of your subjection to Mary and Joseph,
teach all people reverence and obedience to lawful authority.
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
You loved your parents and were loved by them,
establish our families in mutual love and peace.
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
You were eager to be about your Father’s business,
may he be honored in every home.
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
Christ, after three days your anxious parents found you in your Father’s house,
teach all to seek first the kingdom of God.
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
Christ, you have made Mary and Joseph sharers in heavenly glory,
admit the dead into the family of the blessed.
– Lord, you are the model and Savior of all.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
O God,
who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life
and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
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.
– Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
Dec 30, Night Prayer for Friday of the 1st week of Christmas
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, page 1185
Vol II, Page 1642
Vol III, Page 1285
Vol IV, Page 1249
Christian Prayer:
Page 1052
General instruction:
Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.
Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.
Night Prayer for Friday
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
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.
Examination of conscience:
We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.
I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
HYMN
Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all, and shed his blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord
The Lord almighty God
Who was and is, and is to come
Sing holy, holy Lord.
Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therein
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming,
Is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon.
E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light, no lamp, nor sun
For Christ will be their All!
E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come by Choir of The Cathedral of the Madeleine & The Madeleine Choir School
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Day and night I cry to you, my God.
Psalm 88
Prayer of a sick person
This is your hour when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53).
Lord my God, I call for help by day;
I cry at night before you.
Let my prayer come into your presence.
O turn your ear to my cry.
For my soul is filled with evils;
my life is on the brink of the grave.
I am reckoned as one in the tomb;
I have reached the end of my strength,
Like one alone among the dead,
like the slain lying in their graves,
like those you remember no more,
cut off, as they are, from your hand.
You have laid me in the depths of the tomb,
in places that are dark, in the depths.
Your anger weighs down upon me;
I am drowned beneath your waves.
You have taken away my friends
and made me hateful in their sight.
Imprisoned, I cannot escape;
my eyes are sunken with grief.
I call to you, Lord, all the day long;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work your wonders for the dead?
Will the shades stand and praise you?
Will your love be told in the grave
or your faithfulness among the dead?
Will your wonders be known in the dark
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
As for me, Lord, I call to you for help;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face?
Wretched, close to death from my youth,
I have borne your trials; I am numb.
Your fury has swept down upon me;
your terrors have utterly destroyed me.
They surround me all the day like a flood,
they assail me all together.
Friend and neighbor you have taken away:
my one companion is darkness.
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.
Ant. Day and night I cry to you, my God.
READING Jeremiah 14:9a
You are in our midst, O Lord,
your name we bear:
do not forsake us, O Lord, our God!
RESPONSORY
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Gospel Canticle
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
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.
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Concluding Prayer
All-powerful God
keep us united with your Son
in his death and burial
so that we may rise to new life with him,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Blessing
May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.
Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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, 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.
| Luke | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Luke 2 |
|||
| 22. | And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: | Et postquam impleti sunt dies purgationis ejus secundum legem Moysi, tulerunt illum in Jerusalem, ut sisterent eum Domino, | και οτε επλησθησαν αι ημεραι του καθαρισμου αυτων κατα τον νομον μωσεως ανηγαγον αυτον εις ιεροσολυμα παραστησαι τω κυριω |
| 23. | As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: | sicut scriptum est in lege Domini : Quia omne masculinum adaperiens vulvam, sanctum Domino vocabitur : | καθως γεγραπται εν νομω κυριου οτι παν αρσεν διανοιγον μητραν αγιον τω κυριω κληθησεται |
| 24. | And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons: | et ut darent hostiam secundum quod dictum est in lege Domini, par turturum, aut duos pullos columbarum. | και του δουναι θυσιαν κατα το ειρημενον εν νομω κυριου ζευγος τρυγονων η δυο νεοσσους περιστερων |
| 25. | And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. | Et ecce homo erat in Jerusalem, cui nomen Simeon, et homo iste justus, et timoratus, exspectans consolationem Israël : et Spiritus Sanctus erat in eo. | και ιδου ην ανθρωπος εν ιερουσαλημ ω ονομα συμεων και ο ανθρωπος ουτος δικαιος και ευλαβης προσδεχομενος παρακλησιν του ισραηλ και πνευμα ην αγιον επ αυτον |
| 26. | And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. | Et responsum acceperat a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi prius videret Christum Domini. | και ην αυτω κεχρηματισμενον υπο του πνευματος του αγιου μη ιδειν θανατον πριν η ιδη τον χριστον κυριου |
| 27. | And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, | Et venit in spiritu in templum. Et cum inducerent puerum Jesum parentes ejus, ut facerent secundum consuetudinem legis pro eo, | και ηλθεν εν τω πνευματι εις το ιερον και εν τω εισαγαγειν τους γονεις το παιδιον ιησουν του ποιησαι αυτους κατα το ειθισμενον του νομου περι αυτου |
| 28. | He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: | et ipse accepit eum in ulnas suas : et benedixit Deum, et dixit : | και αυτος εδεξατο αυτο εις τας αγκαλας αυτου και ευλογησεν τον θεον και ειπεν |
| 29. | Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; | Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace : | νυν απολυεις τον δουλον σου δεσποτα κατα το ρημα σου εν ειρηνη |
| 30. | Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, | quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum, | οτι ειδον οι οφθαλμοι μου το σωτηριον σου |
| 31. | Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: | quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum : | ο ητοιμασας κατα προσωπον παντων των λαων |
| 32. | A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. | lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuæ Israël. | φως εις αποκαλυψιν εθνων και δοξαν λαου σου ισραηλ |
| 33. | And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. | Et erat pater ejus et mater mirantes super his quæ dicebantur de illo. | και ην ιωσηφ και η μητηρ αυτου θαυμαζοντες επι τοις λαλουμενοις περι αυτου |
| 34. | And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; | Et benedixit illis Simeon, et dixit ad Mariam matrem ejus : Ecce positus est hic in ruinam, et in resurrectionem multorum in Israël, et in signum cui contradicetur : | και ευλογησεν αυτους συμεων και ειπεν προς μαριαμ την μητερα αυτου ιδου ουτος κειται εις πτωσιν και αναστασιν πολλων εν τω ισραηλ και εις σημειον αντιλεγομενον |
| 35. | And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. | et tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes. | και σου δε αυτης την ψυχην διελευσεται ρομφαια οπως αν αποκαλυφθωσιν εκ πολλων καρδιων διαλογισμοι |
| 36. | And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. | Et erat Anna prophetissa, filia Phanuel, de tribu Aser : hæc processerat in diebus multis, et vixerat cum viro suo annis septem a virginitate sua. | και ην αννα προφητις θυγατηρ φανουηλ εκ φυλης ασηρ αυτη προβεβηκυια εν ημεραις πολλαις ζησασα ετη μετα ανδρος επτα απο της παρθενιας αυτης |
| 37. | And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day. | Et hæc vidua usque ad annos octoginta quatuor : quæ non discedebat de templo, jejuniis, et obsecrationibus serviens nocte ac die. | και αυτη χηρα ως ετων ογδοηκοντα τεσσαρων η ουκ αφιστατο απο του ιερου νηστειαις και δεησεσιν λατρευουσα νυκτα και ημεραν |
| 38. | Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. | Et hæc, ipsa hora superveniens, confitebatur Domino : et loquebatur de illo omnibus, qui exspectabant redemptionem Israël. | και αυτη αυτη τη ωρα επιστασα ανθωμολογειτο τω κυριω και ελαλει περι αυτου πασιν τοις προσδεχομενοις λυτρωσιν εν ιερουσαλημ |
| 39. | And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. | Et ut perfecerunt omnia secundum legem Domini, reversi sunt in Galilæam in civitatem suam Nazareth. | και ως ετελεσαν απαντα τα κατα τον νομον κυριου υπεστρεψαν εις την γαλιλαιαν εις την πολιν εαυτων ναζαρετ |
| 40. | And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him. | Puer autem crescebat, et confortabatur plenus sapientia : et gratia Dei erat in illo. | το δε παιδιον ηυξανεν και εκραταιουτο πνευματι πληρουμενον σοφιας και χαρις θεου ην επ αυτο |