This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
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Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 667
Proper of Seasons: 464
Psalms and Canticle as in Evening Prayer II of Christmas, 414
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Seasons: 169
Psalms and canticle as in Evening Prayer II of Christmas, 147
Evening Prayer for the Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
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
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
Beloved Son, the Father's Word,
Alone with him before all time,
Yet choosing to be born on earth.
The Father's Splendor, Light from Light,
Eternal Hope of every soul,
Hear now the prayers through-out the world
Which lovingly arise to you.
O Source of all salvation true,
Remember that you deigned to take
Our human nature's flesh and blood,
Formed in a spotless Virgin's womb.
This is the great day of the year
When Christians join to celebrate
Your coming down to save all men,
The Father's glory laid aside.
The earth, the sky, the very sea,
And all that live in them, rejoice,
And praise the Father who decreed
That you should come to us as Man.
And we who now have been redeemed
By your divine and precious Blood
Unite to sing this grateful song
Today in honor of your birth.
All glory Jesus, be to you
Once born of Virgin undefiled,
Who with the Spirit of your Love
And God the Father, ever reign. Amen.
𝄞 | "O Christ, Redeemer of Us All" by Rebecca Hincke • Title: O Christ, Redeemer of Us All; Text: from Latin; 6th c.; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode I; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 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 Messiah, king and priest
Christ’s reign will last until all his enemies are made subject to him (1 Corinthians 15:25).
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
“Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Lord will wield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.”
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
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.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Ant. 2 With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Psalm 130
A cry from the depths
He himself will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
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.
Ant. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.
Ant. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
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.
Ant. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.
Ant. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
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.
Ant. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Ant. 3 In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
Canticle – Colossians 1:12-20
Christ the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead
Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints
in light.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
All were created through him;
all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
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.
Ant. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
READING 2 Peter 1:3-4
The divine power of Christ has freely bestowed on us everything necessary for a life of genuine piety, through knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. By virtue of them he has bestowed on us the great and precious things he promised, so that through these you who have fled a world corrupted by lust might become sharers of the divine nature.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
The Word was made man, alleluia, alleluia.
— The Word was made man, 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 man, alleluia, alleluia.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. We sing your praises, holy Mother of God: you gave birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ; watch over all who honor you.
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
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 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.
Ant. We sing your praises, holy Mother of God: you gave birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ; watch over all who honor you.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us joyfully acclaim Christ, born at Bethlehem in Judea, for he gives nourishment and guidance to his holy people:
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
Christ the Savior, desired of the nations, spread your Gospel to places still deprived of the Word of life,
— draw every person to yourself.
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
Christ the Lord, let your Church grow and extend the boundaries of its homeland,
— until it embraces men and women of every language and race.
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
King of kings, direct the hearts and minds of rulers,
— to seek justice, peace and freedom for all nations.
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
Almighty ruler, strength of the weak, support those in temptation, lift up the fallen, protect those living in danger,
— console those who have been deceived, comfort the incurably ill, strengthen the faith of the anxious.
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
Consoler of the sorrowful, comfort the dying,
— and lead them to the fountains of living water.
Let your favor rest upon us, Lord.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that the newness of the Nativity
in the flesh of your Only Begotten Son may set us free,
for ancient servitude holds us bound beneath the yoke of sin.
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.
— Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.