INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
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
Loving, eternal splendor of the Godhead,
Life, Light, and Mercy, Christ you come among us,
Healer of illness and all human weakness,
Gate of Salvation.
Angels in chorus to the earth are singing
tidings from heaven, telling of new ages:
praise to the Father, to our human fam’ly
joy, peace, and gladness.
Infant so lowly, Lord of all creation,
born of the Virgin, holy, pure, and sinless,
rule all the world now, Jesus Christ, our Master,
ever beloved.
Born to give heaven, our eternal homeland,
our flesh assuming, joined to us for ever;
draw hearts that seek you, mind and soul renewing;
by your love bind us.
Lord, see us gathered, filled with exultation,
joined to the angels, singing hymns of gladness;
joyous we praise you, one with God the Father,
and Love, your equal. Amen.
Tune: HERR, DEINEN ZORN 11 11 11 5;
Music: later form of melody from Johann Crüger. 1599-1662
or Mode I, melody 22; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Candor æternæ Deitatis alme, Anselmo Lentini, O.S.B., 1901-1989, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The Lord of power and might is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Psalm 46
God our refuge and strength
He shall be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us (Matthew 1:23).
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.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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!”
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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
All-powerful Father, the refuge and strength of your people, you protect in adversity and defend in prosperity those who put their trust in you. May they persevere in seeking your will and find their way to you through obedience.
Ant. The Lord of power and might is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Ant. 2 Fullness of peace will dawn on the day of the Lord, and he will be our King.
Psalm 72
The Messiah’s royal power
Opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
I
O God, give your judgment to the king, *
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice *
and your poor in right judgment.
May the mountains bring forth peace for the people *
and the hills, justice.
May he defend the poor of the people †
and save the children of the needy *
and crush the oppressor.
He shall endure like the sun and the moon *
from age to age.
He shall descend like rain on the meadow, *
like raindrops on the earth.
In his days justice shall flourish *
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea, *
from the Great River to earth’s bounds.
Before him his enemies shall fall, *
his foes lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts *
shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba *
shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate, *
all nations shall serve him.
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. Fullness of peace will dawn on the day of the Lord, and he will be our King.
Ant. 3 The Lord himself will come to save the poor.
II
For he shall save the poor when they cry *
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak *
and save the lives of the poor.
From oppression he will rescue their lives, *
to him their blood is dear.
Long may he live, *
may the gold of Sheba be given him.
They shall pray for him without ceasing *
and bless him all the day.
May corn be abundant in the land *
to the peaks of the mountains.
May its fruit rustle like Lebanon; †
may men flourish in the cities *
like grass on the earth.
May his name be blessed for ever *
and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him, *
all nations bless his name.
Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, *
who alone works wonders,
ever blessed his glorious name. *
Let his glory fill the earth.
Amen! Amen!
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
We call upon your name, Father, and pronounce it blessed above the earth. Give your people the fullness of peace and justice in your kingdom.
Ant. The Lord himself will come to save the poor.
When the shepherds saw the child.
— They understood what the angel had said of him.
READINGS
FIRST READING
The beginning of the letter of the apostle Paul to the Colossians
1:1-14
Thanksgiving and intercession
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy ones at Colossae, faithful brothers in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in our prayers for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you bear toward all the saints—moved as you are by the hope held in store for you in heaven. You heard of this hope through the message of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, has borne fruit, and has continued to grow in your midst, as it has everywhere in the world. This has been the case from the day you first heard it and comprehended God’s gracious intention through the instructions of Epaphras, our dear fellow slave, who represents us as a faithful minister of Christ. He it was who told us of your love in the Spirit.
Ever since we heard this we have been praying for you unceasingly and asking that you may attain full knowledge of his will through perfect wisdom and spiritual insight. Then you will lead a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way. You will multiply good works of every sort and grow in the knowledge of God. By the might of his glory you will be endowed with the strength needed to stand fast, even to endure joyfully whatever may come, giving thanks to the Father for having made you worthy to share the lot of the saints in light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Through him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
RESPONSORY
Colossians 1:12; James 1:17
Let us give thanks to God our Father,
— because he has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from above;
from the Father of light.
— Because he has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot
(Sermo 1, in Epiphania Domini, 1-2: PL 133, 141-143)
In the fullness of time the fullness of divinity appeared
The goodness and humanity of God our Savior have appeared in our midst. We thank God for the many consolations he has given us during this sad exile of our pilgrimage here on earth. Before the Son of God became man his goodness was hidden, for God’s mercy is eternal, but how could such goodness be recognized? It was promised, but it was not experienced, and as a result few have believed in it. Often and in many ways the Lord used to speak through the prophets. Among other things, God said: I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. But what did men respond, thinking thoughts of affliction and knowing nothing of peace? They said: Peace, peace, there is no peace. This response made the angels of peace weep bitterly, saying: Lord, who has believed our message? But now men believe because they see with their own eyes, and because God’s testimony has now become even more credible. He has gone so far as to pitch his tent in the sun so even the dimmest eyes see him.
Notice that peace is not promised but sent to us; it is no longer deferred, it is given; peace is not prophesied but achieved. It is as if God the Father sent upon the earth a purse full of his mercy. This purse was burst open during the Lord’s passion to pour forth its hidden contents—the price of our redemption. It was only a small purse, but it was very full. As the Scriptures tell us: A little child has been given to us, but in him dwells all the fullness of the divine nature. The fullness of time brought with it the fullness of divinity. God’s Son came in the flesh so that mortal men could see and recognize God’s kindness. When God reveals his humanity, his goodness cannot possibly remain hidden. To show his kindness what more could he do beyond taking my human form? My humanity, I say, not Adam’s—that is, not such as he had before his fall.
How could he have shown his mercy more clearly than by taking on himself our condition? For our sake the Word of God became as grass. What better proof could he have given of his love? Scripture says: Lord, what is man that you are mindful of him; why does your heart go out to him? The incarnation teaches us how much God cares for us and what he thinks and feels about us. We should stop thinking of our own sufferings and remember what he has suffered. Let us think of all the Lord has done for us, and then we shall realize how his goodness appears through his humanity. The lesser he became through his human nature the greater was his goodness; the more he lowered himself for me, the dearer he is to me. The goodness and humanity of God our Savior have appeared, says the Apostle.
Truly great and manifest are the goodness and humanity of God. He has given us a most wonderful proof of his goodness by adding humanity to his own divine nature.
RESPONSORY
Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:29
From all eternity, God destined us in Jesus Christ to be his children by adoption,
— for it was his loving purpose to show in us the glory of his grace.
Long ago he knew us and chose to make us in the likeness of his own Son.
— For it was his loving purpose to show in us the glory of his grace.
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 put our trust in you.
℣. In you, Lord, is our hope:
℟. and we shall never hope in vain.
The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
All-powerful and unseen God,
the coming of your light into our world
has made the darkness vanish.
Teach us to proclaim the birth of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
Almighty and invisible God,
who dispersed the darkness of this world
by the coming of your light,
look, we pray, with serene countenance upon us,
that we may acclaim with fitting praise
the greatness of the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
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Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
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. Christ is born for us; come, let us adore him.
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ was born today.
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened heaven's door,
And we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
Tune: In dulci jubilo 66.77.66.55
Music: Klug’s Geistliche Lieder, Wittenberg, 1535
Text: In dulci jubilo: Latin and German, fourteenth century
Translation: John Mason Neale, 1818-1866, alt.
Or:
Christ was born on Christmas Day
Wreathe the holly, twine the bay;
Christus natus hodie;
The Babe, The Son, the Holy One of Mary.
He is born to set us free,
He is born our Lord to be,
Ex Maria Virgine,
The God, the Lord, by all ador’d forever.
Let the bright red berries glow,
Ev’ry where in goodly show,
Christus natus hodie;
The Babe, the Son, the Holy One of Mary.
Christian men, rejoice and sing,
‘Tis the birthday of a King
Ex Maria Virgine;
The God, the Lord, by all ador’d forever.
Tune: Resonet in laudibus 777. 11
Music: German, sixteenth century
Text: Traditional