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SERVICE OF LIGHT AND PRAISE
Greeting/Invocation
On this evening we light the First & Second 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
All may sing or alternate the verses of the Advent Evening Hymn—
The voice of God goes out through all the Earth:
God’s glory speaks across the universe.
The great One’s herald cries from star to star;
With pow’r, with justice, Love will walk this way.
Our God has said, “Receive my messenger,
My promise to the world, my pledge made flesh,
A lamp to ev’ry nation, light from light:
With pow’r, with justice, Love will walk this way.
The broken reed will not be trampled down,
Nor heal be set upon the dying flame,
Love binds the wounds, and health is near at hand:
With pow’r, with justice, Love will walk this way.
Anointed with the Spirit and with pow’r,
Love comes to crown with comfort all the weak,
To show the face of justice to the poor:
With pow’r, with justice, Love will walk this way.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
One or more of the Antiphons for the Second Sunday of Advent may be sung with their respective Psalms.
Those who wish may sing alternate verses with the cantor.
Antiphon 1
Behold, Adonai shall appear in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory, alleluia.
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 your head and celebrate the feast.
Behold, Adonai shall appear in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory, alleluia.
Antiphon 2
Zion is our strong city, a Savior will God appoint within her for walls and ramparts.
Open wide the gates, for God our God is with us. Alleluia
Psalm 112/113
Servants of God, sing praise,
praise God’s holy Name.
Bless the Name of the Holy One,
both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the Holy Name.
Adonai towers above the nations;
God’s glory shines over the heavens.
Who compares to the Holy One?
Who is enthroned so high,
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to observe both heaven and Earth?
Love lifts the humble from the dust
And raises the poor from the mire
To be seated with leaders of the people,
and to wear a crown of joy;
The childless, no longer alone,
Rejoice in many children.
Zion is our strong city, a Savior will God appoint within her for walls and ramparts.
Open wide the gates, for God our God is with us. Alleluia
Antiphon 3
In the time appointed, Adonai will come, and not disappoint us.
Though he delay, wait for him, for he will surely come,
and will not be late, alleluia!
Psalm 129/130
Out of the depths I cry to You!
in your mercy, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading!
If you recorded our sins,
Adonai, who could survive?
But because you are ready to forgive
we stand here in wonder and awe.
My soul is waiting for Adonai
I trust in God’s word.
My soul is longing for Adonai
more than watchmen for daybreak.
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and all of us count on Adonai!
Because with God there is compassion
And fullness of redemption.
God indeed will redeem us
From all our iniquity.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
In the time appointed, Adonai will come, and not disappoint us.
Though he delay, wait for him, for he will surely come,
and will not be late, alleluia!
READING: II PETER 3: 8-9, 14a
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved: with God, one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day. God does not delay the promise, as some regard “delay,” but instead, is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
According to God’s promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Silent Reflection
Responsory
R. It is now the hour to wake from sleep, our Salvation is close at hand.
Canticle of Mary: Luke 1:46-55
Antiphon:
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for your firm believing,
that the promise of our God would be fulfilled, alleluia!
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 the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for your firm believing,
that the promise of our God would be fulfilled, alleluia!
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany
Let the day come when any who suffer ~will find your compassion.
Let the day come when all poverty ~will find your riches.
Let the day come when our tears ~will find your gentle touch.
Let the day come when our many paths ~will find your welcoming embrace.
Let the day come when our work repairing the Earth, ~will find your new creation.
Let the day come when our hope and joy ~will find fulfillment in your presence.
Prayer of Jesus
You taught us to pray, Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Stir up our hearts, Adonai, to prepare the way for the Advent of your Incarnate Word; that through his coming, we may be ready with heart, mind and body to join in the healing and repair of this world, For yours is the glory and power of Love, now and forever. Amen.
All may make the sign of the Cross as we say:
May the peace of the Holy ONE+ which surpasses all understanding + guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus,+ our Emmanuel. Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may pray 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.
Introit for the Second Sunday of Advent
