Call to Worship

While making the sign of the cross:

God, come to our assistance.
Lord, make haste to help us.

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

O Holy Mary (1)

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

From heav’n the angel Gabriel
announced the ancient plan,
and humbly you accepted
to bear the God-made man.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

All praise and adoration
we sing now to your Son
who reigns in highest heaven
and has the vict’ry won.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

PSALMODY

Psalm 141:1-9

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, I am calling: hasten to help me.
Listen to me as I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No, I will never taste their delights.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

The good may reprove me,
In kindness chastise me,
but the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Every day, I counter their malice with prayer.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

To you, Lord my God, my eyes are turned:
In you I take refuge; do not forsake me.
Keep me safe from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do evil.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all praise to the life giving Spirit.
As it was, is now, and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering. (2)

Psalm Prayer

Lord,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
your name is worthy of all praise.
Let our prayer come like incense before you.
May the lifting up of our hands
be as an evening sacrifice
acceptable to you,
Lord, our God.

Psalm 127

Ant. By your miraculous birth from the Virgin, you have fulfilled the Scriptures: like a gentle rain falling upon the earth, you have come down to save your people. O God, we praise you.

If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watch 'keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat:
when the Lord pours gifts on the beloved while they slumber.

Truly children are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the children of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of those
who have filled their quivers with these arrows!
They will have no cause for shame
when they dispute with their foes in the gateways.

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen

Ant. By your miraculous birth of the Virgin, you have fulfilled the Scriptures: like a gentle rain falling upon the earth, you have come down to save your people. O God, we praise you.

Canticle
Ephesians 1:3-10

Ant. Your blessed and fruitful virginity is like the bush, flaming yet unburned, which Moses saw on Sinai. Pray for us, Mother of God.

Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God chose us in Him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in God’s sight.

God predestined us to be adopted children
through Jesus Christ,
such was God’s will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In Him and through his blood, we have been
redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan God was pleased
to decree in Christ.

A plan to be carried out in Christ,
in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in Him,
in the heavens and on earth.

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. Your blessed and fruitful virginity is like the bush, flaming yet unburned, which Moses saw on Sinai. Pray for us, Mother of God.

Reading

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians
(Galatians 4:3-7)

In the same way, while we were not yet of age, we were like slaves subordinated to the elements of the world; but when the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted children. The proof that you are children is the fact that God has sent forth into our hearts the spirit of the Son, which cries out “Abba!” (“Father!”) You are no longer a slave but a child! And the fact that you are a child makes you an heir by God’s design.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia.
The Word was made flesh, 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 flesh, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Mary

The Magnificat (3)
Luke 1:46-55
Ant. Blessed is the womb which bore you, O Christ, and the breast that nursed you, Lord and Savior of the world, alleluia.

While making the sign of the cross:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
My spirit sings to God, my saving God,
Who on this day, above all others, favored me
And raised me up, a light for all to see.

Through me, great deeds will God make manifest
And all the earth will come to call me blest.
Unbounded love and mercy sure will I proclaim
For all who know and praise God’s holy name.

God’s mighty arm, protector of the just,
Will guard the weak and raise them from the dust.
But mighty kings will swiftly fall from thrones corrupt.
The strong brought low, the lowly lifted up.

Soon will the poor and hungry of the earth
Be richly blest, be given greater worth.
And Israel, as once foretold to Abraham,
Will live in peace throughout the promised land.

All glory be to God, Creator blest,
To Jesus Christ, God’s love made manifest,
And to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
All glory be, both now and evermore.

Ant. Blessed is the womb which bore you, O Christ, and the breast that nursed you, Lord and Savior of the world, alleluia.

Intercessions

To Christ, Emmanuel, whom the Virgin conceived and brought forth, let us give praise and pray to him:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

You gave Mary the joy of motherhood; give all parents true joy in their children.
All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

King of peace, your kingdom is one of justice and peace; help us to seek the paths of peace.
All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

You came to make the human race the holy people of God; bring all nations to acknowledge the unifying bond of your love.
All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

By your birth, you strengthened family ties; help families to come to a greater love for one another.
All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

For the sick who have asked us to accompany them with our prayers, that they may experience your merciful and healing touch today.

Please pray aloud the names of those who are sick or in need of healing.

All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer.

You desired to be born into the days of time; grant that our departed sisters and brothers may be born into the day of eternity.
All creation, raise your voices:
Child of Mary, hear our prayer. (4)

The Lord’s Prayer

And now let us pray with confidence as Christ our Lord asked:
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.

Closing Prayer

Father,
Source of light in every age,
the virgin conceived and bore your Son who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace.
May her prayer, the gift of a mother’s love, be your people’s joy through all the ages.
May her response, born of a humble heart, draw your Spirit to rest on your people.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessing

While making the sign of the cross:

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and
bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Salve Regina (5)

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ,
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Pray for us.
Sant’Angelo,
Pray for us.

Let us spend this evening in peace.
Thanks be to God.

Credits and Permissions
All text and music are in the public domain
or used with permission:
OneLicense A-726188. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise stated, all music
is published by OCP or a division of OCP.
Julian Pardo produces all audio.
Michael Aguilar, Jr. produces all videos.

1. Text: Owen Alstott, b. 1947.
   Music: Owen Alstott. Text and music
   copyright 1982, 1989,
   Viola: arr. by Craig S. Kingsbury, b. 1952, copyright 1985, 1986.
   Vocals: Anna May Rudolph.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
   Viola: Briana Bandy.

2. Text: Based on Psalm 141:1-5,8-9, Doxology; Paul Inwood, b. 1947.
   Music: Paul Inwood; Text and Music copyright, 1984-1985.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

3. Lyrics: Based on Luke 1:68-79;
   Owen Alstott, b. 1947. Copyright 1993.
   Music: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957.
   Copyright 1993.
   Vocals: Steven Begert-Clark.
   Other Vocals:Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm., Alondra Garza, Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Nick Ritacco.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

4. From ‘General Intercessions-Christmas.’
   Text: Gabe Houck, copyright 2004.
   Music: Based on DIVINUM MYSTERIUM, adapted & arranged by Tony E. Alonzo, copyright 2004.
   Vocals: Nick Ritacco and The Carmelites.

5. Text: Latin, attr. to Hermannus Contractus, 1013-1054; English, Paul F. Ford, b. 1947, © 1995, Paul F. Ford.
   Music: Chant, Mode V; guitar acc.© 1993, OCP.
   Vocals: The Carmelites, including Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Ryan J. Resurreccion, O. Carm., Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.