Tuesday 31 December 2019
7th day within the octave of Christmas
(optional commemoration of Saint Silvester I, Pope)
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
From lands that see the sun arise,
To earth’s remotest boundaries,
The Virgin-born today we sing,
The Son of Mary, Christ the King.
Blest Author of this earthly frame,
To take a servant’s form he came,
That, liberating flesh by flesh,
Whom he had made might live afresh.
In that chaste parent’s holy womb,
Celestial grace hath found its home:
And she, as earthly bride unknown,
Yet calls that Offspring blest her own.
That Son, that royal Son she bore,
Whom Gabriel’s voice had told before;
Whom, in his Mother yet concealed,
The Infant Baptist had revealed.
All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
________
Psalm 95 (96)
The Lord, the universal King and judge
“They were singing a new hymn in front of the throne, in the presence of the Lamb” (cf Rev 14:3).
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad at the presence of the Lord, for he comes.
O síng a new sóng to the Lórd, †
síng to the Lórd all the éarth. *
O síng to the Lórd, bless his náme.
Procláim his hélp day by dáy, †
téll among the nátions his glóry *
and his wónders amóng all the péoples.
The Lord is gréat and wórthy of práise, †
to be féared abóve all góds; *
the góds of the héathens are náught.
It was the Lórd who máde the héavens, †
his are májesty and státe and pówer *
and spléndour in his hóly pláce.
Give the Lórd, you fámilies of péoples, †
give the Lórd glóry and pówer; *
give the Lórd the glóry of his náme.
Bring an óffering and énter his cóurts, †
wórship the Lórd in his témple. *
O éarth, trémble befóre him.
Procláim to the nátions: ‘God is kíng.’ †
The wórld he made fírm in its pláce; *
he will júdge the péoples in fáirness.
Let the héavens rejóice and earth be glád, *
let the séa and all withín it thunder práise,
let the lánd and all it béars rejóice, *
all the trées of the wóod shout for jóy
at the présence of the Lórd for he cómes, *
he cómes to rúle the éarth.
With jústice he will rúle the wórld, *
he will júdge the péoples with his trúth.
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.
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad at the presence of the Lord, for he comes.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, you have renewed the face of the earth. Your Church throughout the world sings you a new song, announcing your wonders to all. Through a virgin, you have brought forth a new birth in our world; through your miracles, a new power; through your suffering, a new patience; in your resurrection, a new hope, and in your ascension, new majesty.
Or:
Lord Jesus, the incarnate Word, when you consented to dwell with us, the heavens were glad and earth rejoiced. In hope and love we await your return. Help us to proclaim your glory to those who do not know you, until the whole earth sings to you a new song.
________
Psalm 96 (97)
The glory of God in his judgements
“This psalm tells of the salvation of the world and of the faith all peoples would have in Christ” (St Athanasius).
Light shines forth for the just and joy for the upright of heart. Alleluia.
The Lord is kíng, let éarth rejóice, *
let áll the cóastlands be glád.
Clóud and dárkness are his ráiment; *
his thróne, jústice and ríght.
A fíre prepáres his páth; *
it búrns up his fóes on every síde.
His líghtnings líght up the wórld, *
the éarth trémbles at the síght.
The móuntains mélt like wáx *
before the Lórd of áll the éarth.
The skíes procláim his jústice; *
all péoples sée his glóry.
Let thóse who serve ídols be ashámed, †
those who bóast of their wórthless góds. *
All you spírits, wórship hím.
Síon héars and is glád; †
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
becáuse of your júdgements, O Lórd.
For yóu indéed are the Lórd †
most hígh above áll the éarth, *
exálted far abóve all spírits.
The Lórd loves thóse who hate évil; †
he gúards the sóuls of his sáints; *
he séts them frée from the wícked.
Líght shines fórth for the júst *
and jóy for the úpright of héart.
Rejóice, you júst, in the Lórd; *
give glóry to his hóly náme.
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.
Light shines forth for the just and joy for the upright of heart. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you clothe the sky with light and the depths of the ocean with darkness. Among the sons of men you work wonders, and rain terror upon the enemy. Look upon your servants. Do not try us by fire but bring us rejoicing to the shelter of your home.
________
Psalm 97 (98)
The Lord has brought salvation
“This psalm tells of the first coming of the Lord and of the faith of all peoples” (St Athanasius).
The Lord has made known his salvation. Alleluia.
Síng a new sóng to the Lórd *
for hé has worked wónders.
His ríght hand and his hóly árm *
have bróught salvátion.
The Lórd has made knówn his salvátion; *
has shown his jústice to the nátions.
He has remémbered his trúth and lóve *
for the hóuse of Ísrael.
All the énds of the éarth have séen *
the salvátion of our Gód.
Shóut to the Lórd, all the éarth, *
ríng out your jóy.
Sing psálms to the Lórd with the hárp *
with the sóund of músic.
With trúmpets and the sóund of the hórn *
acclaim the Kíng, the Lórd.
Let the séa and all withín it, thúnder; *
the wórld, and all its péoples.
Let the rívers cláp their hánds *
and the hílls ring out their jóy
Rejóice at the présence of the Lórd, *
for he comes to rúle the éarth.
He will rúle the wórld with jústice *
and the péoples with fáirness.
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 Lord has made known his salvation. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, you have revealed your justice to all nations. We stood condemned, and you came to be judged in our place. Send your saving power on us and, when you come in glory, bring your mercy to those for whom you were condemned.
Or:
Father, you deserve the lasting song of praise you formed upon the lips of men, by opening your boundless love to us through the mystery of your Son. Grant that the eucharistic gathering everywhere, by which the Church celebrates the Easter wedding feast, may always renew the song which we will sing to your glory in heaven.
________
℣. In this, the final age, God has spoken to us through his Son,
℟. Through whom he first created the universe.
________
First Reading
Colossians 2:4-15
Our faith in Christ
I say this to make sure that no one deceives you with specious arguments. I may be absent in body, but in spirit I am there among you, delighted to find you all in harmony and to see how firm your faith in Christ is.
You must live your whole life according to the Christ you have received – Jesus the Lord; you must be rooted in him and built on him and held firm by the faith you have been taught, and full of thanksgiving.
Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ.
In his body lives the fullness of divinity, and in him you too find your own fulfilment, in the one who is the head of every Sovereignty and Power.
In him you have been circumcised, with a circumcision not performed by human hand, but by the complete stripping of your body of flesh. This is circumcision according to Christ. You have been buried with him, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.
He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross; and so he got rid of the Sovereignties and the Powers, and paraded them in public, behind him in his triumphal procession.
Responsory
Col 2:9-10,12
℟. The fullness of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity.* He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.
℣. When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ, and in baptism we were also raised with Christ through faith in the active power of God.* He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.
________
Second Reading
From a sermon of Saint Leo the Great, pope
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace
God’s Son did not disdain to become a baby. Although with the passing of the years he moved from infancy to maturity, and although with the triumph of his passion and resurrection all the actions of humility which he undertook for us were finished, still today’s festival renews for us the holy childhood of Jesus born of the Virgin Mary. In adoring the birth of our Saviour, we find we are celebrating the commencement of our own life, for the birth of Christ is the source of life for Christian folk, and the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the body.
Every individual that is called has his own place, and all the sons of the Church are separated from one another by intervals of time. Nevertheless, just as the entire body of the faithful is born in the font of baptism, crucified with Christ in his passion, raised again in his resurrection, and placed at the Father’s right hand in his ascension, so with Him are they born in this nativity.
For this is true of any believer in whatever part of the world, that once he is reborn in Christ he abandons the old paths of his original nature and passes into a new man by being reborn. He is no longer counted as part of his earthly father’s stock but among the seed of the Saviour, who became the Son of man in order that we might have the power to be the sons of God.
For unless He came down to us in this humiliation, no one could reach his presence by any merits of his own.
The very greatness of the gift conferred demands of us reverence worthy of its splendour. For, as the blessed Apostle teaches, We have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which are given us by God. That Spirit can in no other way be rightly worshipped, except by offering him that which we received from him.
But in the treasures of the Lord’s bounty what can we find so suitable to the honour of the present feast as the peace which at the Lord’s nativity was first proclaimed by the angel-choir?
For it is that peace which brings forth the sons of God. That peace is the nurse of love and the mother of unity, the rest of the blessed and our eternal home. That peace has the special task of joining to God those whom it removes from the world.
So those who are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God must offer to the Father the unanimity of peace-loving sons, and all of them, adopted parts of the mystical Body of Christ, must meet in the First-Begotten of the new creation. He came to do not his own will but the will of the one who sent him; and so too the Father in his gracious favour has adopted as his heirs not those that are discordant nor those that are unlike him, but those that are one with him in feeling and in affection. Those who are re-modelled after one pattern must have a spirit like the model.
The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace: for thus says the Apostle, He is our peace, who made both one; because whether we are Jew or Gentile, through Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Responsory
℟. You who used to be far away have been brought near by the death of Christ,* for he himself is the peace between us; he has made Jews and Gentiles into one people.
℣. Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to all – to you Gentiles, who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to him,* for he himself is the peace between us; he has made Jews and Gentiles into one people.
________
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.”
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
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.
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
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 angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
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 angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
________
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
“The members of the Church, God’s new people, will rejoice in their king, who is Christ” (Hesychius).
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
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.
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
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
Isaiah 4:2-3
That day, the branch of the Lord shall be beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be the pride and adornment of Israel’s survivors. Those who are left of Zion and remain of Jerusalem shall be called holy and those left in Jerusalem, noted down for survival.
________
Short Responsory
The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
He has revealed his saving power.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
Suddenly there was with the angel a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace among his chosen people, alleluia.
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.
Suddenly there was with the angel a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace among his chosen people, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
With humble confidence we turn to Christ the Lord, whose grace has been revealed for the salvation of all men.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, radiance of God’s glory, sustaining the universe with your all-powerful word,
give us life today through the power of your gospel.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, Liberator of the whole human race,
give all men the freedom needed to do your will.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, eternal Son of the Father, yet born for us in the stable at Bethlehem,
help your Church to be ever detached from the unnecessary things of this world.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, Son of David, fulfilment of the prophecies,
may the Jewish people accept you as their awaited Deliverer.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
________
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.
________
All-powerful, ever-living God,
we thank you for the human birth of your Son,
which is the source and perfection of our Christian life and worship.
Number us among his people,
for the salvation of all mankind is found in him,
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.