Tuesday 31 December 2019
7th day within the octave of Christmas
(optional commemoration of Saint Silvester I, Pope)
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
________
Hymn
From lands that see the sun arise,
To earth’s remotest boundaries,
The Virgin-born today we sing,
The Son of Mary, Christ the King.
Blest Author of this earthly frame,
To take a servant’s form he came,
That, liberating flesh by flesh,
Whom he had made might live afresh.
In that chaste parent’s holy womb,
Celestial grace hath found its home:
And she, as earthly bride unknown,
Yet calls that Offspring blest her own.
That Son, that royal Son she bore,
Whom Gabriel’s voice had told before;
Whom, in his Mother yet concealed,
The Infant Baptist had revealed.
All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
________
Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
“Let the man who has put away the deeds of the night watch for God.”
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
O Gód, you are my Gód, for you I lóng; *
for yóu my sóul is thírsting.
My bódy pínes for yóu *
like a drý, weary lánd without wáter.
So I gáze on yóu in the sánctuary *
to sée your stréngth and your glóry.
For your lóve is bétter than lífe, *
my líps will spéak your práise.
So I will bléss you áll my lífe, *
in your náme I will líft up my hánds.
My sóul shall be fílled as with a bánquet, *
my móuth shall práise you with jóy.
On my béd I remémber yóu. *
On yóu I múse through the níght
for yóu have béen my hélp; *
in the shádow of your wíngs I rejóice.
My sóul clíngs to yóu; *
your ríght hand hólds me fást.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
Psalm-prayer
Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honour, and our voices celebrate you for ever.
Or:
This morning, Lord, we lift up our hands to praise you. We thirst for you; we long for you. Help us to love you more than life itself and fill us with good gifts from your banquet table.
________
Canticle
Daniel 3:57-88,56
All creatures, bless the Lord
“Praise our God, all you his servants” (Rev 19:5).
The angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
O all you works of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, angels of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, the heavens of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, all armies of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, sun and moon, O bless the Lord. *
And you, the stars of the heavens, O bless the Lord.
And you, showers and rain, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, all you breezes and winds, O bless the Lord. *
And you, fire and heat, O bless the Lord.
And you, cold and heat, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, showers and dew, O bless the Lord. *
And you, frosts and cold, O bless the Lord.
And you, frost and snow, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, night-time and day, O bless the Lord. *
And you, darkness and light, O bless the Lord.
And you, lightning and clouds, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, mountains and hills, O bless the Lord. *
And you, all plants of the earth, O bless the Lord.
And you, fountains and springs, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, rivers and seas, O bless the Lord. *
And you, creatures of the sea, O bless the Lord.
And you, every bird in the sky, O bless the Lord. †
And you, wild beasts and tame, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, children of men, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O Israel, bless the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, priests of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, servants of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, spirits and souls of the just, O bless the Lord. *
And you, holy and humble of heart, O bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
Let us praise the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
The angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
________
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
“The members of the Church, God’s new people, will rejoice in their king, who is Christ” (Hesychius).
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
Síng a new sóng to the Lórd, *
his práise in the assémbly of the fáithful.
Let Ísrael rejóice in its Máker, *
let Síon’s sons exúlt in their kíng.
Let them práise his náme with dáncing *
and make músic with tímbrel and hárp.
For the Lórd takes delíght in his péople. *
He crówns the póor with salvátion.
Let the fáithful rejóice in their glóry, *
shout for jóy and táke their rést.
Let the práise of Gód be on their líps *
and a twó-edged swórd in their hánd,
to déal out véngeance to the nátions *
and púnishment on áll the péoples;
to bínd their kíngs in cháins *
and their nóbles in fétters of íron;
to cárry out the séntence pre-ordáined: *
this hónour is for áll his fáithful.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.
Or:
Lord Jesus, you came to your own people and gave to all who welcomed you power to become children of God. In your merciful love watch over the Church and through her ministry bring salvation to the meek and lowly. May we avoid the snares of the impious, and come to rejoice in glory with your saints.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 4:2-3
That day, the branch of the Lord shall be beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be the pride and adornment of Israel’s survivors. Those who are left of Zion and remain of Jerusalem shall be called holy and those left in Jerusalem, noted down for survival.
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Short Responsory
The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
He has revealed his saving power.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
Suddenly there was with the angel a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace among his chosen people, alleluia.
Bléssed be the Lórd, the Gód of Ísrael! *
He has vísited his péople and redéemed them.
He has raised úp for ús a mighty sáviour *
in the hóuse of Dávid his sérvant,
as he prómised by the líps of holy mén, *
thóse who were his próphets from of óld.
A sáviour who would frée us from our fóes, *
from the hánds of áll who háte us.
So his lóve for our fáthers is fulfílled *
and his hóly covenant remémbered.
He swóre to Ábraham our fáther to gránt us, *
that frée from féar, and sáved from the hánds of our fóes,
we might sérve him in hóliness and jústice *
all the dáys of our lífe in his présence.
As for yóu, little chíld, *
you shall be cálled a próphet of Gód, the Most Hígh.
You shall go ahéad of the Lórd *
to prépare his wáys befóre him,
To make knówn to his péople their salvátion *
through forgíveness of áll their síns,
the loving-kíndness of the héart of our Gód *
who vísits us like the dáwn from on hígh.
He will give líght to those in dárkness, †
those who dwéll in the shádow of déath, *
and gúide us into the wáy of péace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Suddenly there was with the angel a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace among his chosen people, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
With humble confidence we turn to Christ the Lord, whose grace has been revealed for the salvation of all men.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, radiance of God’s glory, sustaining the universe with your all-powerful word,
give us life today through the power of your gospel.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, Liberator of the whole human race,
give all men the freedom needed to do your will.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, eternal Son of the Father, yet born for us in the stable at Bethlehem,
help your Church to be ever detached from the unnecessary things of this world.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, Son of David, fulfilment of the prophecies,
may the Jewish people accept you as their awaited Deliverer.
– Lord, have mercy on 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.
________
All-powerful, ever-living God,
we thank you for the human birth of your Son,
which is the source and perfection of our Christian life and worship.
Number us among his people,
for the salvation of all mankind is found in him,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.