Evening Prayer - December 29

DECEMBER 29

Evening Prayer

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 ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

A Child is born in Bethlehem, alleluia;
O come, rejoice Jerusalem, alleluia, alleluia.

Refrain:
Let grateful hearts now sing,
A song of joy and holy praise
To Christ the new-born King.

Though found within a manger poor, alleluia,
His Kingdom shall for e'er endure, alleluia, alleluia.

Refrain

As brother in the flesh he came, alleluia,
Our King whose name we now proclaim, alleluia, alleluia.

Refrain

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

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

The Lord will wield 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...

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.

Antiphon: With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.

Psalm 130

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...

Antiphon: With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.

Antiphon: In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.

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...

Antiphon: In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.

READING                                                      1 John 1:1-3
This is what we proclaim to you:
what was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and our hands have touched -
we speak of the word of life.
This life became visible;
we have seen it and bear witness to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father
and became visible to us.
What we have seen and heard
we proclaim in turn to you
so that you may share life with us.
This fellowship of ours is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

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 (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: The king of heaven humbled himself to be born of a virgin, that he might restore us to the kingdom we had lost.

INTERCESSIONS
God the compassionate Father anointed his Son with the Holy Spirit and sent him to bring good news to the poor. Let us ask him, then:

                    God of compassion, take pity on us.

Compassionate and ever-living God, you want all men to be saved and come to knowledge of your truth. We thank you for having given this world your only-begotten Son:
  -  may the whole earth rejoice at his nativity.

You sent your Son to bring the good news to the poor, to announce freedom for captives and proclaim the time of grace:
  -  grant to mankind the gifts of liberty and peace.

You guided the wise men of the Gentiles to see your Son and worship him:
  -  accept the worship of our faithful prayer.

After them, you call all men out of the shadows and into your light, so that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend:
  -  send us out into the world as witnesses of your Gospel.

You made Christ, born in Bethlehem, a light to enlighten the gentiles:
  -  let the light of your face shine on our departed brethren.

Our Father...

COLLECT
Almighty and invisible God,
who dispersed the darkness of this world
by the coming of your light,
look, we pray, with serene countenance upon us,
that we may acclaim with fitting praise
the greatness of the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son.
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.

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