(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: Come, let us worship Jesus, the Son of God, who lived with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them.

Psalm 122 (121)
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
"Let us go to God's house."
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel's law it is,
there to praise the Lord's name.
There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
"Peace be to your homes!"
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!"

For love of my family and friends I say "Peace upon you."
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.

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: Come, let us worship Jesus, the Son of God, who lived with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

ANT: Jesus grew in wisdom with the years, and he was pleasing to God and people.

Psalm 127 (126)
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain do the watchers keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat,
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Yes, children are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
The sons and daughters of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of those
who have filled their quivers with these arrows!
They will have no cause for shame
when they dispute with their foes in the gateways.

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: Jesus grew in wisdom with the years, and he was pleasing to God and people.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

READING (1 John 1:5b,7)
God is light; in him there is no darkness. If we walk in light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

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

ANT: The Word was made flesh and dwells among us.

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: The Word was made flesh and dwells among us.

INTERCESSIONS

Lord Jesus, your birth opened the path to eternal salvation. Keep us from sin and let us follow that path. We pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus give your blessing to those who have the responsibility of teaching our children of your birth and life. We pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus forgive us and all who have made the Christmas season a time of materialism. We pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus give eternal peace to our loved ones who have died. 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
All-powerful God, may the human birth of your Son free us from our former slavery to sin and bring us new life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen