Sunday 29 December 2019
The Holy Family
Office of Readings
(combined with Lauds)
This is the Office of Readings joined to another Hour, as described in §99 of the General Instruction. To see the Office of Readings on its own, use the menu button on the right.
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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
Mary Immaculate, star of the morning,
Chosen before the creation began,
Chosen to bring in the light of thy dawning,
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Here, in this world of both shadow and sadness
Veiling thy splendour, thy course hast thou run:
Now thou art throned in all glory and gladness,
Crowned by the hand of thy Saviour and Son.
Sinners, we worship thy sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for thy pity we plead:
Grant us the shield of thy sov’reign protection,
Measure thine aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from thy throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which thy footsteps have trod:
Stretch out thine arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
________
Psalm 23 (24)
The Lord comes to his temple
“The gates of heaven were opened to Christ because he was lifted up in the flesh” (St Irenaeus).
When his parents brought the child into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God.
The Lórd’s is the éarth and its fúllness, *
the wórld and áll its péoples.
It is hé who sét it on the séas; *
on the wáters he máde it fírm.
Who shall clímb the móuntain of the Lórd? *
Who shall stánd in his hóly pláce?
The mán with clean hánds and pure héart, †
who desíres not wórthless thíngs, *
who has not swórn so as to déceive his néighbour.
He shall recéive bléssings from the Lórd *
and rewárd from the Gód who sáves him.
Súch are the mén who séek him, *
seek the fáce of the Gód of Jácob.
O gátes, lift hígh your héads; †
grow hígher, áncient dóors. *
Let him énter, the kíng of glóry!
Whó is the kíng of glóry? †
The Lórd, the míghty, the váliant, *
the Lórd, the váliant in wár.
O gátes, lift hígh your héads; †
grow hígher, áncient dóors. *
Let him énter, the kíng of glóry!
Who is hé, the kíng of glóry? †
Hé, the Lórd of ármies, *
hé is the kíng of glóry.
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.
When his parents brought the child into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God.
Psalm-prayer
King of glory, Lord of power and might, cleanse our hearts from all sin, preserve the innocence of our hands, and keep our minds from vanity, so that we may deserve your blessing in your holy place.
Or:
Lord God, ruler and guide of heaven and earth, you gave Christ a share in our human race, made him a priest, and brought him into the temple of your glory. Make our intentions pure and selfless and give virtue to our thoughts, that the King of glory may enter our hearts and bring us rejoicing to your holy mountain.
________
Psalm 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength
“They will call his name ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’” (Mt 1:23).
Entering the house, the Magi found the Child with his mother.
Gód is for ús a réfuge and stréngth, *
a hélper close at hánd, in tíme of distréss,
so wé shall not féar though the éarth should róck, *
though the móuntains fáll into the dépths of the séa;
even thóugh its wáters ráge and fóam, *
even thóugh the móuntains be sháken by its wáves.
The Lórd of hósts is wíth us: *
the Gód of Jácob is our strónghold.
The wáters of a ríver give jóy to God’s cíty, *
the hóly pláce where the Móst High dwélls.
Gód is withín, it cánnot be sháken; *
Gód will hélp it at the dáwning of the dáy.
Nátions are in túmult, kíngdoms are sháken: *
he lífts his vóice, the éarth shrinks awáy.
The Lórd of hósts is wíth us: *
the Gód of Jácob is our strónghold.
Cóme, consíder the wórks of the Lórd, *
the redóubtable déeds he has dóne on the éarth.
He puts an énd to wárs over áll the éarth; †
the bów he bréaks, the spéar he snáps. *
He búrns the shíelds with fíre.
‘Be stíll and knów that Í am Gód, *
supréme among the nátions, supréme on the éarth!’
The Lórd of hósts is wíth us: *
the Gód of Jácob is our strónghold.
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.
Entering the house, the Magi found the Child with his mother.
Psalm-prayer
All-powerful Father, the refuge and strength of your people, you protect in adversity and defend in prosperity those who put their trust in you. May they persevere in seeking your will and find their way to you through obedience.
Or:
Lord God, when the restless powers of this world and the waters of hell rise up against your holy city, the new Jerusalem, you keep watch over it and it is safe, founded on solid rock. May the river that flows from the throne of the Lamb so purify this city as to make it shine out before men as your chosen dwelling, the unfailing sign of your greatness.
________
Psalm 86 (87)
Jerusalem, mother of all nations
“The Jerusalem which is above is free and is our mother” (Gal 4:26).
Joseph rose from sleep and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt.
On the hóly móuntain is his cíty *
chérished by the Lórd.
The Lórd prefers the gátes of Síon *
to áll Jacob’s dwéllings.
Of yóu are told glórious thíngs, *
O cíty of Gód!
‘Bábylon and Égypt I will cóunt *
among thóse who knów me;
Philístia, Týre, Ethiópia, *
thése will be her chíldren
and Síon shall be cálled “Móther” *
for áll shall be her chíldren.’
It is hé, the Lórd Most Hígh, *
who gives éach his pláce.
In his régister of péoples he wrítes: *
‘Thése are her chíldren,’
and whíle they dánce they will síng: *
‘In yóu all find their hóme.’
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.
Joseph rose from sleep and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.
________
℣. The Lord will give instruction to all your sons.
℟. He will give peace abundantly to all your children.
________
First Reading
Ephesians 5:21-6:4
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up: you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.
Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.
Responsory
℟. Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do.* Honour your father and your mother.
℣. Jesus went back with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth, and he was obedient to them.* Honour your father and your mother.
________
Second Reading
From an address given at Nazareth by Pope Paul VI
The example of Nazareth
The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus – the school of the Gospel.
The first lesson we learn here is to look, to listen, to meditate and penetrate the meaning – at once so deep and so mysterious – of this very simple, very humble and very beautiful manifestation of the Son of God. Perhaps we learn, even imperceptibly, the lesson of imitation.
Here we learn the method which will permit us to understand who Christ is. Here above all is made clear the importance of taking into account the general picture of his life among us, with its varied background of place, of time, of customs, of language, of religious practices – in fact, everything Jesus made use of to reveal himself to the world. Here everything is eloquent, all has a meaning.
Here, in this school, one learns why it is necessary to have a spiritual rule of life, if one wishes to follow the teaching of the Gospel and become a disciple of Christ.
How gladly would I become a child again, and go to school once more in this humble and sublime school of Nazareth: close to Mary, I wish I could make a fresh start at learning the true science of life and the higher wisdom of divine truths.
But I am only a passing pilgrim. I must renounce this desire to pursue in this home my still incomplete education in the understanding of the Gospel. I will not go on my way however without having gathered – hurriedly, it is true, and as if wanting to escape notice – some brief lessons from Nazareth.
First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us, besieged as we are by so many uplifted voices, the general noise and uproar, in our seething and over-sensitized modern life.
May the silence of Nazareth teach us recollection, inwardness, the disposition to listen to good inspirations and the teachings of true masters. May it teach us the need for and the value of preparation, of study, of meditation, of personal inner life, of the prayer which God alone sees in secret.
Next, there is a lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character. Let us learn from Nazareth that the formation received at home is gentle and irreplaceable. Let us learn the prime importance of the role of the family in the social order.
Finally, there is a lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the ‘Carpenter’s Son’, in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work; here I would restore the awareness of the nobility of work; and reaffirm that work cannot be an end in itself, but that its freedom and its excellence derive, over and above its economic worth, from the value of those for whose sake it is undertaken. And here at Nazareth, to conclude, I want to greet all the workers of the world, holding up to them their great pattern, their brother who is God. He is the prophet of all their just causes, Christ our Lord.
Responsory
℟. We wish you all joy. Perfect your lives, listen to the appeal we make, think the same thoughts, keep peace among yourselves,* as you sing and give praise to the Lord in your hearts.
℣. Whatever you are doing, put your whole heart into it, as if you were doing it for the Lord and not for men,* as you sing and give praise to the Lord in your hearts.
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Vigils
If time allows, those who celebrate the Office of Readings of a Sunday (or solemnity, or feast of the Lord) on the evening before, or at the crack of dawn on the day itself, may enrich the celebration with three Old Testament canticles and a Gospel reading.
________
Hymn
Te Deum
We praise you, O God: *
we acclaim you as the Lord.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers,
all the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending song:
Holy, Holy, Holy, *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled *
with your majesty and glory.
The glorious band of apostles, *
the noble company of prophets,
the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, *
all sing your praise.
And to the ends of the earth *
your holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, whose majesty is boundless, *
your true and only Son, who is to be adored, *
the Holy Spirit sent to be our Advocate.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, *
Son of the eternal Father.
When you took our nature to save mankind *
you did not shrink from birth in the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the power of death *
opening the Father’s kingdom to all who believe in you.
Enthroned at God’s right hand in the glory of the Father, *
you will come in judgement according to your promise.
You redeemed your people by your precious blood. *
Come, we implore you, to our aid.
Grant us with the saints *
a place in eternal glory.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted:
Lord, save your people *
and bless your inheritance.
Rule them and uphold them *
for ever and ever.
Day by day we praise you: *
we acclaim you now and to all eternity.
In your goodness, Lord, keep us free from sin. *
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
May your mercy always be with us, Lord, *
for we have hoped in you.
In you, Lord, we put our trust: *
we shall not be put to shame.
________
Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
“Let the man who has put away the deeds of the night watch for God.”
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.
O Gód, you are my Gód, for you I lóng; *
for yóu my sóul is thírsting.
My bódy pínes for yóu *
like a drý, weary lánd without wáter.
So I gáze on yóu in the sánctuary *
to sée your stréngth and your glóry.
For your lóve is bétter than lífe, *
my líps will spéak your práise.
So I will bléss you áll my lífe, *
in your náme I will líft up my hánds.
My sóul shall be fílled as with a bánquet, *
my móuth shall práise you with jóy.
On my béd I remémber yóu. *
On yóu I múse through the níght
for yóu have béen my hélp; *
in the shádow of your wíngs I rejóice.
My sóul clíngs to yóu; *
your ríght hand hólds me fást.
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.
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.
Psalm-prayer
Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honour, and our voices celebrate you for ever.
Or:
This morning, Lord, we lift up our hands to praise you. We thirst for you; we long for you. Help us to love you more than life itself and fill us with good gifts from your banquet table.
________
Canticle
Daniel 3:57-88,56
All creatures, bless the Lord
“Praise our God, all you his servants” (Rev 19:5).
The boy child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and God’s grace was with him.
O all you works of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, angels of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, the heavens of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, all armies of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, sun and moon, O bless the Lord. *
And you, the stars of the heavens, O bless the Lord.
And you, showers and rain, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, all you breezes and winds, O bless the Lord. *
And you, fire and heat, O bless the Lord.
And you, cold and heat, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, showers and dew, O bless the Lord. *
And you, frosts and cold, O bless the Lord.
And you, frost and snow, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, night-time and day, O bless the Lord. *
And you, darkness and light, O bless the Lord.
And you, lightning and clouds, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, mountains and hills, O bless the Lord. *
And you, all plants of the earth, O bless the Lord.
And you, fountains and springs, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, rivers and seas, O bless the Lord. *
And you, creatures of the sea, O bless the Lord.
And you, every bird in the sky, O bless the Lord. †
And you, wild beasts and tame, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, children of men, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O Israel, bless the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, priests of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, servants of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, spirits and souls of the just, O bless the Lord. *
And you, holy and humble of heart, O bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
Let us praise the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
The boy child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and God’s grace was with him.
________
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
“The members of the Church, God’s new people, will rejoice in their king, who is Christ” (Hesychius).
His father and mother were filled with wonder at what was being said about him.
Síng a new sóng to the Lórd, *
his práise in the assémbly of the fáithful.
Let Ísrael rejóice in its Máker, *
let Síon’s sons exúlt in their kíng.
Let them práise his náme with dáncing *
and make músic with tímbrel and hárp.
For the Lórd takes delíght in his péople. *
He crówns the póor with salvátion.
Let the fáithful rejóice in their glóry, *
shout for jóy and táke their rést.
Let the práise of Gód be on their líps *
and a twó-edged swórd in their hánd,
to déal out véngeance to the nátions *
and púnishment on áll the péoples;
to bínd their kíngs in cháins *
and their nóbles in fétters of íron;
to cárry out the séntence pre-ordáined: *
this hónour is for áll his fáithful.
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.
His father and mother were filled with wonder at what was being said about him.
Psalm-prayer
Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.
Or:
Lord Jesus, you came to your own people and gave to all who welcomed you power to become children of God. In your merciful love watch over the Church and through her ministry bring salvation to the meek and lowly. May we avoid the snares of the impious, and come to rejoice in glory with your saints.
________
Short Reading
Deuteronomy 5:16
Honour your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may have long life and may prosper in the land that the Lord your God gives to you.
________
Short Responsory
Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
– Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
You lived in obedience to Mary and Joseph.
– Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
The angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ (Year A)
Or: Lord, let the example of your holy family enlighten our minds; set our feet on the way of peace.
Bléssed be the Lórd, the Gód of Ísrael! *
He has vísited his péople and redéemed them.
He has raised úp for ús a mighty sáviour *
in the hóuse of Dávid his sérvant,
as he prómised by the líps of holy mén, *
thóse who were his próphets from of óld.
A sáviour who would frée us from our fóes, *
from the hánds of áll who háte us.
So his lóve for our fáthers is fulfílled *
and his hóly covenant remémbered.
He swóre to Ábraham our fáther to gránt us, *
that frée from féar, and sáved from the hánds of our fóes,
we might sérve him in hóliness and jústice *
all the dáys of our lífe in his présence.
As for yóu, little chíld, *
you shall be cálled a próphet of Gód, the Most Hígh.
You shall go ahéad of the Lórd *
to prépare his wáys befóre him,
To make knówn to his péople their salvátion *
through forgíveness of áll their síns,
the loving-kíndness of the héart of our Gód *
who vísits us like the dáwn from on hígh.
He will give líght to those in dárkness, †
those who dwéll in the shádow of déath, *
and gúide us into the wáy of péace.
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.
The angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ (Year A)
Or: Lord, let the example of your holy family enlighten our minds; set our feet on the way of peace.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us adore the Son of the living God, who became son in a human family.
– Lord Jesus, bless our families.
Jesus, eternal Word of the Father, you lived under the authority of Mary and Joseph.
Teach us to walk the path of humility.
– Lord Jesus, bless our families.
Mary kept in her heart all that you said and did:
may we learn in her example the spirit of contemplation.
– Lord Jesus, bless our families.
Christ, yours was the strength that shaped the universe, yet you came to learn the tasks of a carpenter.
Help us to see our work as a sharing in yours.
– Lord Jesus, bless our families.
You advanced in wisdom and in favour with God and men:
may we live to the full in you and build up your body in faith and love.
– Lord Jesus, bless our families.
________
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.
________
God our Father,
in the Holy Family of Nazareth
you have given us the true model of a Christian home.
Grant that by following Jesus, Mary and Joseph
in their love for each other and in the example of their family life,
we may come to your home of peace and joy.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.