Watch o'er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in the broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: F. Bland Tucker; Melody: Rendez a Dieu; Midi: Cyberhymnal


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: Lord, keep my soul from death; never let me stumble.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord's name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living. Glory...

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever. Glory...

Mighty and wonderful are your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Righteous and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!

Who would dare refuse you honor,
or the glory due your name, O Lord?

Since you alone are holy,
all nations shall come
and worship in your presence.
Your mighty deeds are clearly seen. Glory...

Antiphon 3 King of all the ages, your ways are perfect and true.


READING     Romans 8:3-4
God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin; he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.


RESPONSORY
All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.
– All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.
All nations will acclaim his glory.
– Men and women of every race.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race.


MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: An angel warned the wise men in a dream to return to their own country by a different route.


INTERCESSIONS
We pray now to the Father who has appointed Christ a light to the nations:

                                      Father, hear our prayer.

Give increase to your Church,
 - and spread the glory of your Son.

Eternal Father, you led the wise men from the East to your Son,
 - reveal him to all who seek the truth.

Draw all nations into your marvelous light,
 - so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bend.

Send laborers into your vineyard,
 - let them preach the Gospel to the poor and announce a time of grace.

Grant the dead the fullness of redemption,
 - that they may rejoice in the victory of Christ, your Son.


Our Father...


COLLECT
Grant, we ask, almighty God,
that the Nativity of the Savior of the world,
made known by the guidance of a star,
may be revealed ever more fully to our minds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your 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.