(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: Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Canticle 3 (1 Chronicles 29)
Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel, our Father,
for ever, for ages unending.
Yours, Lord, are greatness and power,
and splendor, triumph, and glory!

All is yours in heaven and on earth.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are supreme above all.
Both honor and riches come from you.

You are the ruler of all.
From your hand comes strength and power;
from your hand comes greatness and might.
And so, our God, we thank you.
We praise your glorious name.

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: Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

ANT: The Lord himself will come to save the poor.

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: The Lord himself will come to save the poor.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

READING (Acts 10:36)
This is the message God has sent to the sons of Israel, the good news of peace proclaimed through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.

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

ANT: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God, alleluia.

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: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS

God of love, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, pour out your love on our lives and forgive us our sins. We pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, bring your peace to those who are marginal, the homeless, the imprisoned, the poor. We pray to the Lord.

For the safety of those who work for peace in our community, the law enforcement officers. We pray to the Lord.

May the healing touch of the new-born infant Jesus bring his healing peace to those who are sick. 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
Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. May the light of faith shine in our words and actions. Grant 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