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Puer natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis:
cujus imperium super humerum ejus;
et vocabitur nomen ejus, magni consilii Angelus.
Service of Light
Greeting/Invocation
We light the Christmas Candles and say or sing:
Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord! ~Thanks be to God!
All the ends of Earth have seen, alleluia! ~The salvation of our God, alleluia!
EVENING HYMN for CHRISTMASTIDE
When Christ was born at Bethlehem The heedless world slept on
And only simple shepherds heard That God’s own Word had come.
But when the Savior comes again With thunder or with fire,
The cosmos will itself behold His splendor and his pow’r.
Then shall the pure of heart be blest; As mild he comes to them
As when upon the Virgin’s breast He lay at Bethlehem.
He gently came to those with faith But stronger now to save
For having felt the sting of death And having burst the grave.
Come, dwell in us, O Lord, that we may know you as our friend.
Come share with us beyond our pain The joy that cannot end.
O Abba, hear this song of hope Brought by your saving Son,
That in your Spirit we may live And praise you ever one.
Text: J. Anstice (1808-1836, English Hymnal 1906; freely adapted by Ralph Wright, OSB. Tune: CM
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
You have held princely rule from the day of your birth on high;
from the womb before the first dawn, I have begotten you.
Psalm 109/110
Adonai, to the One who will reign:
“Come and be My companion;
We will undo selfishness and sin.”
The Spirit will bring from Zion
The power and strength to save:
Love changing foes into friends.
Precious from the day of your birth
on the holy mountain;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Promise holds true forever:
Your ministry is Loving-Kindness–
A priest like Melchizedek of old.
Companions of the Most High are ready
To liberate all who suffer from evil.
The One who calls us to justice
Invites us to join in the struggle:
Enlightening all who are unaware of the truth.
Drink from streams of Living Water,
Lift up your head and celebrate the feast.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before, so now and evermore. Amen
You have held princely rule * from the day of your birth on high;
from the womb before the first dawn, I have begotten you.
READING — 2 Peter 1:3-4
The divine power of Christ has freely bestowed on us everything necessary for a life of genuine reverence, through knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. By virtue of them he has bestowed on us the great and precious things he promised, so that through these you who have fled a world corrupted by lust and greed might become sharers of his divinity.
Silent Reflection
Responsory
R. The Word was made flesh. Alleluia, alleluia! V. And lived among us. Alleluia, alleluia!
Canticle of Mary Luke 1:46-55
The shepherds said to one another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
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 and to WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
The shepherds said to one another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
Let us pray to Christ our Savior: ~O Savior, save us.
Son of the Living God: ~O Savior, save us.
Son of Earth, Human One: ~O Savior, save us.
Son of Abraham, Israel and David: ~O Savior, save us.
Son of Mary, Ruth, Rachel, Rebecca and Sarah: ~O Savior, save us.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father…
Closing Prayer and Blessing.
God of endless love and compassion, we praise you for creating us in your own image and likeness and even more for restoring us in Christ Jesus, your living Word. As we celebrate his birth, may we live his gospel, for he 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 birth of our God and Savior Jesus Christ + bring all humanity to salvation. Amen.
Let us bless the world with peace. ~And give thanks to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon for Christmas.
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.