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: Christ is born for us. Come let us adore him.

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
From Heaven high I come to you
Go tell it on the mountain
Oh, Come All Ye Faithful
Songs of praise the angels sang
Virgin-born, we bow before you
What Child is this
A Child is born in Bethlehem


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: Dawn finds me ready to welcome you, my God.

Psalm 119:145-152
XIX (Koph)

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,
I will keep your statutes.
I call upon you, save me
and I will do your will.

I rise before dawn and cry for help,
I hope in your word.
My eyes watch through the night
to ponder your promise.

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;
give me life by your decrees.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near;
they are far from your law.

But you, O Lord, are close,
your commands are truth.
Long have I known that your will
is established for ever.

Psalm Prayer:Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Antiphon 1 Dawn finds me ready to welcome you, my God.


Antiphon 2 The Lord is my strength and I shall sing his praise, for he has become my savior.

Canticle  -  Exodus 15:1-4a,8-13,17-18
Hymn of victory after the crossing of the Red Sea
Those who had conquered the beast were singing the song of Moses, God's servant (see Revelation 15:2-3)

I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.

The Lord is a warrior,
Lord is his name!
Pharaoh's chariots and army he hurled into the sea.
At a breath of your anger the waters piled up,
the flowing waters stood like a mound,
the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.

The enemy boasted, "I will pursue and overtake them;
I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;
I will draw my sword;
my hand shall despoil them!"
When your wind blew, the sea covered them;
like lead they sank in the mighty waters.

Who is like to you among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like to you, magnificent in holiness?
O terrible in renown, worker of wonders,
when you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!

In your mercy you led the people you redeemed;
in your strength you guided them to your holy dwelling.

And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance-
the place where you made your seat, O Lord,
the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands established.
The Lord shall reign forever and ever.  Glory...

Antiphon 2 The Lord is my strength and I shall sing his praise, for he has become my savior.


Antiphon 3 O, praise the Lord, all you nations.

Psalm 117
Praise for God's loving compassion
I affirm that...the Gentile peoples are to praise God because of his mercy (Romans 15:8-9)

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.

Psalm Prayer: God, our Father, may all nations and peoples praise you. May Jesus, who is called faithful and true and who lives with you eternally, possess our hearts forever,

Antiphon 3 O, praise the Lord, all you nations.


READING      - Isaiah 9:5-6
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
  upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
  Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast and forever peaceful,
From David's throne, and over his kingdom,
  which he confirms and sustains
By judgment and justice,
  both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!


RESPONSORY
The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.
    -    The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.
His saving power.
    -    Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    -    The Lord has made known, alleluia, alleluia.


BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: He is the one of whom it has been written: Christ is born in Israel.


INTERCESSIONS
All the ends of the earth have seen Jesus Christ, the saving power of God. Let us praise him and cry out in joy:

                        Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Redeemer of all, you came to tear down the walls separating Jew from Gentile
- root out the prejudices which erode the depths of our humanity.

Through your incarnation and your birth you established your presence among us,
- teach us to recognize the many forms of your presence in the Church and in one another.

You are the fullest revelation of God to men and women,
- show us how we can assent to your word with integrity of faith and action.

You are God-with-us, wondrously transforming all creation,
- let every heart, every voice, every deed throughout the universe now be transformed.


Our Father...


COLLECT
Almighty ever-living God,
who were pleased to shine forth with new light
through the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray,
that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form
through the childbearing of the Virgin Mary,
so we, too, may one day merit
to become companions in his kingdom of grace.
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.