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

Holy, Holy, Holy (1)

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning,
our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons,
blessed Trinity.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before thee,
Which wert and art —
and evermore shall be

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinners,
thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy;
there is none beside thee,
Perfect in pow’r,
in love and purity.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy Name,
in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons,
blessed Trinity.

PSALMODY

Psalm 63

Ant. The shepherds went in haste and found Joseph and Mary,
and the infant lying in the manger.

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. The shepherds went in haste and found Joseph and Mary, and the infant lying in the manger.

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. Joseph and Mary, the mother of Jesus, marveled at what was said of their child, and Simeon blessed them.

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, Michael, 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. Joseph and Mary, the mother of Jesus, marveled at what was said of their child, and Simeon blessed them.

Psalm 149

Ant. Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt. There they stayed until the death of Herod.

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. Joseph rose in the night and took the child and his mother into Egypt. There they stayed until the death of Herod.

Reading

A Reading from the Second Book of Samuel
(Samuel 7:28-29)

Lord God, you are God, and your words are truth;
You have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever, for you, Lord God, have promised, and by your blessing, the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

God made him the master of his household.
God made him the master of his household.
God gave him charge over all his possessions,
and made him the master of his household.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
God made him the master of his household.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Zechariah

Luke 1:68-79
The Benedictus (2)

Ant. Joseph lived in the town of Nazareth to fulfill what the prophets had foretold of Christ: He will be called a Nazarean.

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. Joseph lived in the town of Nazareth to fulfill what the prophets had foretold of Christ: He will be called a Nazarean.

Intercessions

The Lord is the giver of holiness. Let us turn to him and pray:
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord our God, you called our ancestors in faith to walk before you in holiness of heart. May we follow in their footsteps and obey your command to be perfect.
Cry out for God’s mercy:‍ ‍
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

You chose Joseph the righteous to care for your Son in childhood and youth. Teach us to care for Christ’s body by caring for our brothers and sisters.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

You entrusted the earth to humankind, to people it and make it prosper. Inspire us to work wholeheartedly in this world, seeking always to give you glory.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Miserere nobis. Miserere nobis. Lord, hear our prayer.

Father of all mankind, do not forget what your hands have made. Grant that all who work may have secure employment and a fitting standard of living.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
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.

Cry out for God’s mercy:
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

Father,
You entrusted our Savior to the care of Saint Joseph. By the help of his prayers, may your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and 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.
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. Lyrics: Reginald Heber, 1826.
   Tune: NICAEA, John B. Dykes, 1820.
   Arrangement: Howard Hughes, SM, 2009.
   Vocals: Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Carl Markelz, O.Carm. Ryan Joseph Resurrección, O.Carm.,Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm., and Anna May Rudolph.

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) Bob Hurd, b. 1950; copyright 1996.
   Music: Missa Ubi Caritas, Bob Hurd; copyright 1996;
   keyboard arr. by Craig Kingsbury. b. 1951, copyright 1996.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.

4. Traditional Carmelite Hymn.
   Vocals: The Carmelites, including Matthew Gummess, O.Carm.,
   Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Ryan J. Resurrección, O. Carm.,
   Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.