TODAY’S OFFICE OF READINGS Sunday, 28 December 2014 Feast of the Holy Family Lord, + open my lips. – And my mouth will proclaim your praise. INVITATORY (The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.) Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Psalm 95 A call to praise God Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13). Come, let us sing to the Lord * and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving * and sing joyful songs to the Lord. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. The Lord is God, the mighty God, * the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth * and the highest mountains as well. He made the sea; it belongs to him, * the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Come, then, let us bow down and worship, * bending the knee before the Lord, our maker. For he is our God and we are his people, * the flock he shepherds. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: † Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness, * when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, * Although they had seen all of my works. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Forty years I endured that generation. * I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, * “They shall not enter into my rest.” Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph. (If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used: ) 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 forever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Songs of praise the angels sang, Heav’n with alleluias rang, When creation was begun, When God spoke and it was done. Songs of prasie awoke the morn When the Prince of Peace was born; Songs of praise arose when he Captive led captivity. Heav’n and earth must pass away, Songs of praise shall crown that day; God will make new heav’n and earth, Songs of praise, shall hail their birth. And will voice of man be dumb Till that glorious kingdom come? No, the Church delights to raise Psalms and hymns and songs of praise. Saints below, with hearts and voice, Still in songs of praise rejoice, Learning here, by faith and love, Songs of praise to sing above. Borne upon their final breath, Songs of praise shall conquer death; Then, amidst eternal joy, Songs of praise their powers employ. Or: Virgin-born, we bow before you; Blessed was the womb that bore you; Mary, Mother meek and mild, Blessed was she in her child. Blessed was the maid that fed you; Blessed was the hand that led you; Blessed was the parent’s eye That watched your slumbering infancy. Blessed she by all creation, Who brought forth the world’s salvation; And blessed they forever blest, Who love you most and serve you best. Virgin-born, we bow before you: Blessed was the womb that bore you; Mary, Mother meek and mild, Blessed was she in her Child. PSALMODY Ant. 1 When his parents brought the Child Jesus into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God. When Psalm 24 is used as the Invitatory Psalm, Psalm 95, above, is used as the first psalm of the Office of Readings, Psalm 24 The Lord’s entry into his temple Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Iranaeus). The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, * the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; * on the waters he made it firm. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? * Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, † who desires not worthless things, * who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor. He shall receive blessings from the Lord * and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, * seek the face of the God of Jacob. O gates, lift high your heads; † grow higher, ancient doors. * Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is the king of glory? † The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, * the Lord, the valiant in war. O gates, lift high your heads; † grow higher, ancient doors. * Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is he, the king of glory? † He, the Lord of armies, * he is the king of glory. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Psalm Prayer When your Son was unjustly condemned, Lord God, and surrounded by the impious, he cried to you, and you set him free. Watch over your people as the treasure of your heart and guide their steps along safe paths that they may see your face. Ant. When his parents brought the Child Jesus into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God. Ant. 2 The Magi entered the house and found the child with Mary, his mother. Psalm 46 God our refuge and strength He shall be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us (Matthew 1:23). God is for us a refuge and strength, * a helper close at hand, in time of distress: so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, * though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea, even though its waters rage and foam, * even though the mountains be shaken by its waves. The Lord of hosts is with us: * the God of Jacob is our stronghold. The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, * the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within, it cannot be shaken; * God will help it at the dawning of the day. Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken: * he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away. The Lord of hosts is with us: * the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come, consider the works of the Lord, * the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the earth; † the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps. * He burns the shields with fire. “Be still and know that I am God, * supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us: * the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. 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. Ant. The Magi entered the house and found the child with Mary, his mother. Ant. 3 Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt. Psalm 87 Jerusalem is mother of us all The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman; she is our mother (Galatians 4:26). On the holy mountain is his city * cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Zion * to all Jacob’s dwellings. Of you are told glorious things, * O city of God! “Babylon and Egypt I will count * among those who know me; Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, * these will be her children and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’ * for all shall be her children.” It is he, the Lord Most High, * who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: * “These are her children,” and while they dance they will sing: * “In you all find their home.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. 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. Ant. Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt. Your children will be taught by the Lord himself. – He will bless them with fullness of peace. READINGS FIRST READING From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians 5:21-6:4 Christian life in the family and in society Defer to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be submissive to their husbands as if to the Lord because the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of his body the church, as well as its savior. As the church submits to Christ, so wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her to make her holy, purifying her in the bath of water by the power of the word, to present to himself a glorious church, holy and immaculate, without stain or wrinkle or anything of that sort. Husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Observe that no one ever hates his own flesh; no, he nourishes it and takes care of it as Christ cares for the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cling to his wife, and the two shall be made into one.” This is a great foreshadowing; I mean that it refers to Christ and the church. In any case, each one should love his wife as he loves himself, the wife for her part showing respect for her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for that is what is expected of you. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment to carry a promise with it—“that it may go well with you, and that you may have long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not anger your children. Bring them up with the training and instruction befitting the Lord. RESPONSORY Ephesians 6:1-2; Luke 2:51 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for that is your duty; – honor your father and your mother. Jesus returned with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth; there he lived and was obedient to them. – Honor your father and your mother. SECOND READING From an address by Blessed Paul VI, pope (Nazareth, January 5, 1964) Nazareth, a model Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him. Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel. How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth. First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God. Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children—and for this there is no substitute. Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value—demanding yet redeeming—and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves. In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well-being. RESPONSORY 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 5:9; Colossians 3:23 Have a rejoicing heart, try to grow holy, help one another, keep united, live in peace. – Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts. Whatever you do, put your whole self into it, as if for the Lord and not for men. – Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts. TE DEUM You are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb. You overcame the sting of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that you will come, and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance. R. Govern and uphold them now and always. V. Day by day we bless you. R. We praise your name for ever. V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin. R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. V. Lord, show us your love and mercy; R. for we put our trust in you. V. In you, Lord, is our hope: R. and we shall never hope in vain. The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted. CONCLUDING PRAYER Let us pray. Father, help us to live as the holy family, united in respect and love. Bring us to the joy and peace of your eternal home. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – Amen. Or: O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards. 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. ACCLAMATION Let us praise the Lord. – And give him thanks.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:24:37 +0000
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