Menu
First Reading Introduction: His Name: God-With-Us
In a national emergency, God gives a sing that he will save his peope:a young woman will give birth to a son whose name means: "God is with us." The birth of a child is made the sign of hope.
First Reading: Is 7:10-14
Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz, "Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven."
But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask, I will not put Yahweh to the test."
Then Isaiah said, "Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The Virgin is with child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel.".
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Second Reading Introduction: Jesus, Son of God and Descendant of David
Paul professes his faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Savior announced by the prophets; he is man, for he is a descendant of David; he is God's Son and our risen Lord, to whom we belong.
Second Reading: Rom 1:1-7
From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle called and set apart for God's Good News, the very promises he foretold through his prophets in the sacred Scriptures, regarding his Son, who was born in the flesh a descendant of David, and has been recognized as the Son of God endowed with Power, upon rising from the dead through the Holy Spirit.
Through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and for the sake of his Name, we received grace and mission in all the nations, for them to accept the faith.
All of you, the elected of Christ, are part of them, you, the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy: May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace.
Gospel Introduction: Jesus Is Our God-with-us
Matthew presents the son to be born of Mary as the promised "God-with-us," for he is David's son through Joseph, his legal foster-father, and born to the Virgin Mother Mary by the Holy Spirit.
Gospel Reading: Mt 1:18-24
This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.
While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him 'Jesus' for he will save his people from their sins."
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home. So she gave birth to a son and he had not had marital relations with her. Joseph gave him the name of Jesus.
Greeting (From the Second Reading)
To you all, who are God's beloved
and cal to be saints,
grace and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 1:7).
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Emmanuel: God With Us
God is with us. God is among us. God is one of us in Jesus, God in human form is alive among us and he comes to make us really and fully human the way God intended and wants us to be fully and perfectly human. Here is Jesus, our model of deep humanity. We have only to look at him and to let him shape and form us by his Spirit. Then we will also be fully and thoroughly the sons and daughters of or loving God. This is the beautiful message of today. Look at Jesus here among us. Let his word and his Eucharist transform you, that we may become blood of his blood.
B. A Child, Sign of Hope
When parents, relatives, and friends are expecting the birth of a child, they say they are waiting for the "happy eve." The birth of a child is always a sign and a message of hope, for here is new life coming, here is a future. This is God's sign to us too: here comes hope for us, there is a future, for God is with us in Jesus. It will be a happy event for us too if we accept Jesus with joy and faith, like Joseph, like Mary.
Penitential Act
Let us turn to God, who even in our weakness
will always be on the side of people.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you are the promised Emmanuel,
Our God-with-us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you are our Savior:
you come to save us from our sins:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are one of us
fully human, to make us completely human
and sons and daughters of God:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord
and pour out on us your forgiving love,
make us belong to you.
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God
that we may give a warm place to his son
in our hearts and in our lives
(PAUSE)
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
let your Son be reborn in us
at the source of our life and hope.
Let him lift us up from our sadness
and bring us his light.
Let him make us just and reliable
and people of peace.
Let him come to all nations,
to every home and in every heart,
that together with him
we may give glory to you,
our God in the highest,
now and forever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
General Intercessions
Our saving God hears the cries of his people. Let us entrust to him all our longings and all the people dear to us and to him. Let us say: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For a deeper faith in God's Son who became man to bring light for all those who seek, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For peace and reconciliation in the world at large and in our own little worlds, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For more respect and attention for concrete people in need and for greater concern for those who suffer, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For light and wisdom for the leaders of nations, that all may have a fair share in the gifts of God's creation, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For parents who expect a child, that they may shelter the new life with warmth and experience and pass on God's love, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- And for ourselves in our Christian communities, that we may be gentle to one another as God is good and gentle to us. Let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
Our saving God, give us your Son. In him all our expectations will be fulfilled, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in these humble signs of bread and wine
you give us your Son Jesus Christ
as our God-with-us today.
Give us enough faith
to welcome him also in people in need
and to hear his constant call
in the events of everyday life,
that he may stay with us
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With joy we give thanks to the Father that he wanted to become our God-with-us in his Son Jesus Christ.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
Through Jesus, our God-with-us
let us pray with the fullest trust
to our Father in heaven: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from the evil of sin,
particularly from our self-satisfied pride
which closes us to you and your gifts,
Give us the simple receptivity
Of children and of the humble
that you may live among us
and fill our long waiting with the presence
Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Son of God
and the Son of Mary
our Savior and our Lord.
Happy are we to receive him
As our Go-with-us. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you choose to come among your people
in the weakness and humility of a child
through your Son Jesus Christ.
You have given him to us here
as our God-with-us.
Let him put us to shame
when we boast of our achievements
or place all our trust in our own resources.
Teach us that your Son himself
is the source of our power
and that we and the world can become fresh and new
through Jesus Chris our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In few days - if all this has not yet begun ---
there will be the light
of Christmas trees and stars
and the giving of gifts
to friends and relatives.
Le these get their meaning
in the light of God's greatest light
and God's greatest gift to us:
His own Son Jesus christ
as our Go with us.
In his goodness, may God bless you all:
The Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace
and let Jesus the Lord live among you.
R/ Thanks be to God.
