Lord, open my lips.
 - And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 95 is the traditional Invitatory Psalm. Psalm 24, 67, or 100 may be substituted.

Antiphon: Come let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

Psalm 95

Psalm 24

Psalm 67

Psalm 100

God, come to my assistance.
 - Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.

HYMN

Sweet the rains new fall,
sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall,
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight,
mine is the morning
Born of the one light,
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
praise every morning
Gods recreation
of the new day!
Text: Eleanor Farjeon; Melody: Traditional Gaelic, from Mary M. MacDonald, 5554.5554

PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: O Lord, in your light we see light itself.

Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.

He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.

Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven;
your truth to the skies.
Your justice is like God's mountain,
your judgments like the deep.

To both man and beast you give protection.
O Lord, how precious is your love.
My God, the sons of men
find refuge in the shelter of your wings.

They feast on the riches of your house;
they drink from the stream of your delight.
In you is the source of life
and in your light we see light.

Keep on loving those who know you,
doing justice for upright hearts.
Let the foot of the proud not crush me
nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.

See how the evildoers fall!
Flung down, they shall never arise. Glory...

Psalm Prayer:Lord, you are the source of unfailing light. Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house.

Antiphon 1 O Lord, in your light we see light itself.


Antiphon 2 O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power.

Strike up the instruments,
a song to my God with timbrels,
chant to the Lord with cymbals;
Sing to him a new song,
exalt and acclaim his name.

A new hymn I will sing to my God.
O Lord, great are you and glorious,
wonderful in power and unsurpassable.

Let your every creature serve you;
for you spoke, and they were made,
You sent forth your spirit, and they were created;
no one can resist your word.

The mountains to their bases, and the seas, are shaken;
the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance.
But to those who fear you,
you are very merciful. Glory...

Antiphon 2 O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power..


Antiphon 3 Exult in God's presence with hymns of praise.

All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.

God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.

The princes of the people are assembled
with the people of Abraham's God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.

Psalm Prayer: God, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at ourcommand. Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph for ever.

Antiphon 3 Exult in God's presence with hymns of praise.


READING          Isaiah 7:14b-15
The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall be living on curds and honey by the time he learns to reject the bad and choose the good.


RESPONSORY
Your light will come Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
- Your light will come Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
You will see his glory within you;
 - the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
 - Your light will come Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.


BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon:The One who is coming after me is greater than I; I am not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals.


INTERCESSIONS

The Word of God humbled himself to dwell with us so that we might see his glory. Rejoicing in hope, let us call upon him:

                  Emmanuel, be with us.

Ruler, just and righteous,
 - Bring justice to the poor and the oppressed.

King of peace, you beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks,
 - Turn hatred into love and our grievances into forgiveness.

You do not judge by appearances,
 - Recognize those who are your own.

When you come with power and might upon the clouds,
 -Grant that we may come before you without shame.


Our Father...


COLLECT
Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God,
by your divine power,
so that at the coming of Christ your Son
we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life
and merit to receive heavenly nourishment from his hands.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.


May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.


The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.