Call to Worship

While making the sign of the cross:

Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

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

Lift High the Cross (1)

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim,
till all the world
adore his sacred name.

Led on the way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim,
till all the world
adore his sacred name.

Each newborn servant of the Crucified,
Bears on the brow the seal of him who died.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim,
till all the world
adore his sacred name.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim,
till all the world
adore his sacred name.

So shall our song of triumph ever be,
Praise to the crucified for victory!

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim,
till all the world
adore his sacred name.

PSALMODY

Psalm 63

Ant. To destroy the power of hell, Christ died upon the cross; clothed in strength and glory, he triumphed over death.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you, my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life;
in your name, I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet;
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed, I remember you.
On you, I muse through the night,
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings, I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

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. To destroy the power of hell, Christ died upon the cross; clothed in strength and glory, he triumphed over death.

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 works give you honor, and our voices celebrate you for ever.

Canticle
Daniel 3:57-88, 56

Ant. The Lord hung upon the cross to wash away our sins in his own blood. How splendid is that blessed cross.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt God above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt God above all for ever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
All you human beings, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt God above all for ever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy ones of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt God above all for ever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt God above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.

Ant. The Lord hung upon the cross to wash away our sins in his own blood. How splendid is that blessed cross.

Psalm 149

Ant. How radiant is that precious cross which brought us our salvation. In the cross we are victorious, through the cross we shall reign, by the cross all evil is destroyed, alleluia.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
God’s praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker.
Let the people of Zion exult in their king.
Let them praise God’s name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people
and crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honor is for all God’s faithful

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. How radiant is that precious cross which brought us our salvation. In the cross we are victorious, through the cross we shall reign, by the cross all evil is destroyed, alleluia.

Reading

A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
(Hebrews 2:9-10)

We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will, he might taste death for the sake of all. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many children to glory, God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world
And we bless you.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Zechariah

Luke 1:68-79
The Benedictus (2)

Ant. We worship your cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection, for the wood of the cross has brought joy to the world.

While making the sign of the cross:

Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel
Who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
Who raises up a mighty Savior from the earth,
Of David’s line, a son of royal birth.

The prophets tell a story just begun
Of vanquished foe and glorious vict’ry won,
Of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God’s faithful love and mercy will abide.

This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
All shall be free to dwell upon the land,
Free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor’s rod,
Holy and righteous in the sight of God.

And you, my child, this day you shall be called
The promised one, the prophet of our God,
For you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
And shepherd all into the light of day.

The tender love God promised from our birth
Is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
To shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
To guide our feet into the path of peace.

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. We worship your cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection, for the wood of the cross has brought joy to the world.

Intercessions

Let us pray with confidence to Christ who endured the cross to redeem us:
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer. (3)

Son of God, you healed the people of Israel when they looked upon the bronze serpent, protect us this day from the deadly wound of sin.
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Son of God, just as Moses raised up the serpent in the desert, so you were lifted up on the cross in the sight of all nations, raise us up to share in the triumph of your cross.
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Only-begotten Son of the Father, you were sent into the world so that those who believe in you might not perish, grant unending life to all who long to see you face to face.
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Beloved Son of the Father you were not sent to judge the world but to save it, grant faith to our brothers and sisters and bring them on the last day to the joy of heaven.
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Eternal Son of the Father, you came to cast fire on the earth and you longed to see its flame kindled in the hearts of all men, grant that through holiness of life we may come to share in the undying light of your glory.
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, 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.

Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer. (3)

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

God our Creator,
In obedience to you,
your only Son accepted death on the cross
for the salvation of humankind.
We acknowledge the mystery of the cross on earth.
May we receive the gift of redemption in heaven,
We ask this 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.

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.

Flos Carmeli (4)

Flos Carmeli
Vitis florigera
Splendor caeli
Virgo puerpera
—Singularis.

Mater mitis
Sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
Esto propitia
—Stella maris.

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

Let us spend this day 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 J. Aguilar produces all videos.

1. Text: with refrain, based on 1 Corinthians 1:18; George W. Kitchin, 1827–1912;
   alt. by Michael R. Newbolt, 1874–1956.
   Music: CRUCIFER; Sydney H. Nicholson, 1875–1947; desc. by Randall DeBruyn, b. 1947.
   Text and music © 1974, 1990, Hope Publishing Co.
   Vocals: Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Ryan J. Resurreccion, O. Carm., Nick Ritacco, Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.

2. Lyrics Based on Luke 1:68-79; Owen Alstott, b. 1947, copyright 1993.
   Music: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957, copyright 1993.
   Vocals: Steven Begert-Clark.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

3. Text: Response from: “Miserere Nobis.”
   Text & Music: Bob Hurd, b. 1950.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.

4. Traditional.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.