(Make the sign of the cross, saying:)

God, come to my assistance,
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be 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: Lay your healing hand on us, O Lord. Cleanse our souls for we have sinned.

Psalm 41 (40)
Happy is he who considers the poor and the weak.
The Lord will save him in the evil day,
will guard him, give him life, make him happy in the land
and will not give him up to the will of his foes.
The Lord will give him strength in his pain,
will bring him back from sickness to health.

As for me, I said "Lord, have mercy on me,
heal my soul for I have sinned against you."
My foes are speaking evil against me.
They want me to die and my name to perish.
They come to visit me and speak empty words,
their hearts full of malice, they spread it abroad.

My enemies whisper together against me.
They all weigh up the evil which is on me.
They say something deadly is fixed upon him
and I he not rise from where he lies.
Thus even my friend, in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has turned against me.

But you, O Lord, have mercy on me.
Let me rise once more and I will repay them.
By this I shall know that you are my friend,
if my foes do not shout in triumph over me.
If you uphold me I shall be unharmed
and set in your presence for evermore.

Glory be 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: Lay your healing hand on us, O Lord. Cleanse our souls for we have sinned.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

ANT: The mighty Lord is at our side. The God of Jacob is our strength.

Psalm 46 (45)
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 be 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 mighty Lord is at our side. The God of Jacob is our strength.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

READING (2 Peter 3:8b-9)
In the Lord's eyes, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day. The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise - though some consider it "delay". Rather, he shows you generous patience, since he wants none to perish but all to come to repentance.

[Reflect on the Reading, applying it to your life today.]

ANT: I have called my Son from Egypt. He will come to save his people.

CANTICLE OF MARY (Lk 1:46-55)
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 be 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: I have called my Son from Egypt. He will come to save his people.

INTERCESSIONS

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd of God's flock, gather all into your Church. We pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, help those you have called to be leaders in your Church so they can shepherd your people with justice and love. We pray to the Lord.

Take pity on all who struggle so hard against sin but fall along the way, may they find a friend to help them. We pray to the Lord.

May our loved ones, who listened to your voice on earth and who have died, enjoy your presence in heaven forever. We pray to the Lord.

(Pray for your special intentions.)

OUR FATHER
And now we pray to God the Father in the words that Jesus taught 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.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen

PRAYER
Jesus, our Lord, save us from our sins. Come, protect us from all dangers and lead us to salvation, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen