Melody: Gregorian, Mode I
Music: Traditional, Gregorian
Text: Puer Natus in Bethlehem
Translator: J.W. Hewitt, 1959, alt.

Psalmody

Antiphon: You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.

Psalm 110:1-5,7    
Dixit Dominus


The Lord's revelation to my Master:
"Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet."

The Lord will yield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.


A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.


The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
"You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedeck of old."


The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his wrath.


He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.



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.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.

My soul is waiting for the Lord.
I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.

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.

CANTICLE                                                       Colossians 1:12-20

Let us give 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.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.

All were created through him;
all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.

It is he who is head of the body, the church;
he who is the beginning,
the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens,
making peace through the blood of his cross.

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.

By nature we deserved God's wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ. By this favor you have been saved.


Responsory:
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
 - The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
He lived among us.
 - Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
 - The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.



Magnificat

Antiphon:The holy Virgin gave birth to God, who became for us the frail, tender baby she nursed at her breast. Let us worship the Lord who comes to save us.

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 ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon:The holy Virgin gave birth to God, who became for us the frail, tender baby she nursed at her breast. Let us worship the Lord who comes to save us.


Intercessions

God sent his Son, fashioned from a woman, made subject to the law, to redeem those under the law.  Trusting in this hope let us pray with confidence:

     -     May the favor of your Son be with us, Lord.

God of love and peace, renew the faith of all Christians in the incarnation of Christ your Son,
 - that they may give thans at all times.

Increase the hope of the weak, the poor and the aged
 - give relief to the oppressed, confidence to those who despair, consolation to those who mourn.

Be mindful of all those in prison
 - and of those driven from their homeland.

You let the angels be heard praising you at the birth of your Son
 - let the departed praise you for ever with this heavenly host.

Lord God,
we praise you for creating us,
and still more for restoring us in Christ.
Your Son shared our weakness:
may we share his glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.