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 (c) 2010, Linda Witte Henke (www.lindahenke.com). All rights reserved. Posted here with permission of the artist.

O Radix Jesse qui stas in signum populorum,

super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur:

veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare! 

Service of Light

Greeting/Invocation

 We light three Candles on the Advent Wreath, and say or sing:

Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

~Thanks be to God!

 

Let your face shine on us, O God;

~And we shall be saved.

 

ADVENT EVENING HYMN

We sing the appropriate verse from this well-known and beloved Advent Carol

O come O Flow’r of Jesse’s stem, From every foe deliver them

That trust your mighty pow’r to save, And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

 

O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times once gave the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

 

O come, O Wisdom from on high, Who orders all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.

 

Rejoice! Rejoice!  Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel.

 

SERVICE OF THE WORD

PSALMODY

O Bethlehem, not the least of Judah,

from you will come the one to rule over Israel my people.

Psalm 88/89a

I will sing your love all my days, Adonai

In every age I will proclaim your truth.

Of this I am certain: your love lasts forever;

Your faithfulness outlasts the heavens.

 

“With my chosen one, I have made a covenant;

I have sworn to David, my servant”

I will establish your house forever

and uphold your reign from age to age.

 

The skies proclaim your wonders, Adonai,

the assembly of the stars proclaims your love.

Is anyone in the heavens your equal?

Can any of the gods compare with you?

 

Revered in the council of holy ones,

Great and dreadful to all around.

Who indeed is your equal, God of strength,

Clothed in truth, O God of power?

 

You rule the stormy seas,

you calm the roaring waves,

You split the sea monster in two

and scatter opponents with a  mighty arm.

 

Yours is the sky, yours the Earth,

yours the whole world of creatures.

You created the North and the South,

Our mountains–Tabor and Hermon–sing out your name.

 

Yours is a mighty arm, Adonai;

your hand is strong, your right hand ready.

Justice and right anchor your throne,

love and truth serve in your presence.

 

Your people rejoice to have you as ruler,

are grateful to walk in your light.

Your Name is itself our joy

Your justice the source of our bliss.

 

For you, Adonai, are the glory of our strength,

it is your favor that leads us to victory.

May our leaders have you as their keeper,

their shield, the Holy One of Israel.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

And to the BREATH of Love!

As always before,

so now and evermore.  Amen

O Bethlehem, not the least of Judah,

from you will come the one to rule over Israel my people.

 

 

READING:  Jeremiah 23:3-6

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them and bring them back to their folds; there they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear or be terrified; not one shall be lost! Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up a righteous branch for David; One who shall reign and govern wisely, who shall do what is just and right in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved, Israel will dwell in security. This is the name of our ruler:“Adonai our justice.”

 

Silent Reflection

Responsory  

R. Sound the trumpet in Zion, for the day of Adonai is near.  *Behold, God is coming to save us. V.  God will be a shelter for this people, a stronghold for the children of Israel.  *Behold, God is coming to save us.

Canticle of Mary          Luke 1:46-55

 

O Root of Jesse, you stand now as a sign for all peoples:

before you those with power must keep silent;

but the nations will cry out to you: Come to liberate us, and do so without delay!

 

It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.

My heart + is radiant with the Lord,

My whole being delights in God my Savior.

 

All people now will call me blessed

For God has loved this humble handmaid.

The Almighty has shown me great favor

Holy is the NAME,

 

Whose mercy embraces the faithful,

From one generation to the next.

The mighty arm of God,

Scatters the proud in their own conceit,

 

Pulls tyrants from their thrones

While lifting up the lowly:

Fills the famished with bounty,

And reveals the emptiness of riches.

 

Rescues lowly Israel,

Sharing such loving kindness,

As promised to our ancestors

To Abraham and Sarah, and their descendants forever.

 

Glory to the ONE through the WORD

In the BREATH of Love!

As always before,

so now and evermore.  Amen

O Root of Jesse, you stand now as a sign for all peoples:

before you those with power must keep silent;

but the nations will cry out to you: Come to liberate us, and do so without delay!

 

SERVICE OF PRAYER

Litany

We  pray to the one who rescues us from darkness

and in hope we cry out:  ~ Come Lord Jesus

 

Heal those who suffer from illness or injury.  ~Come Lord Jesus.

 

Comfort those who grieve the loss of loved ones. ~Come Lord Jesus.

 

Gather into one family all the peoples of the Earth.  ~Come Lord Jesus.

 

Find those who have lost their way. ~Come Lord Jesus.

 

Renew again your covenant with all creation. ~Come Lord Jesus.

 

Teach us to pray…

Our Father …

 

Final Prayer and Blessing

 

Creator and Redeemer of humankind, your eternal Word blossomed into our world from the Root of Jesse and stands as the revelation of your Love for all people.  May the powers of greed and pride be silenced so that all may hear the heart’s deeper cries for freedom and justice: “Come and without delay, liberate all of us!”  We ask this through the same Incarnate Word who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  Amen.

 

All may make the sign of the Cross as we say:

May the One who makes joy rain down from the heights,

+ shower us and all on Earth with freedom and new life.  Amen.

 

Let us bless Adonai   ~Thanks be to God.

 

 

Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon for Advent.

Marian Antiphon

 

Loving Mother of our Savior, holding open heaven’s only hope, Star for steerage in this vastness, rise to help us, save the sinking.  Nature’s greatest  Wonder: you have borne your own true Maker, giving human life to him. Virgin ever, before and after, that Good News from Gabriel, Word of Life for living, tell it now: mercy to all people!

 

The angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary. ~ And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

 

Let us pray.  We ask, O Lord, that we who have been privileged to receive the Good News of the Incarnation of Christ, you Son, may be prepared through his passion and cross to approach also the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.  Amen.