December 25, 2020 – vespers

monk INTRODUCTION
HYMN –O Radiant Light
PSALMODY
pope INCENSE PSALM
Ant. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, *
nor eat of their choice foods.
Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke;
let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; *
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, *
that they may know my words are true.
As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, *
let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me *
and from the traps of the evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, *
while I myself escape.

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. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Ant. 1. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Psalm 110
The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.
Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”
The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.
He will heap high the corpses; *
he will smash heads over the wide earth.
He will drink from the brook beside the road; *
therefore he will lift high his head.

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
Father, we ask you to give us victory and peace. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, we are already seated at your right hand. We look forward to praising you in the fellowship of all your saints in our heavenly homeland.
Ant. 1. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Ant. 2. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

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

Listen with compassion to our prayers, Lord. The forgiveness of sins is yours. Do not look on the wrong we have done, but grant us your merciful kindness.
Ant. 2. With the Lord is unfailing love; great is his power to save.
Ant. 3. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
Canticle: Colossians 1:12-20
The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, •
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;

In whom we have redemption, •
the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, •
the firstborn of all creation.

For in him all things were created, •
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

All things were created through him and for him, •
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the Church, •
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; •
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things
Ant. 3. In the beginning, before time began, the Word was God; today he is born, the Savior of the world.
READING
1 John 1:1-3
He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, upon whom we have gazed, and whom our hands have certainly touched: He is the Word of Life. And that Life has been made manifest. And we have seen, and we testify, and we announce to you: the Eternal Life, who was with the Father, and who appeared to us. He whom we have seen and heard, we announce to you, so that you, too, may have fellowship with us, and so that our fellowship may be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. 4. Christ the Lord is born today; today, the Savior has appeared. Earth echoes songs of angel choirs, archangels’ joyful praise. Today on earth his friends exult: Glory to God in the highest, alleluia.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me bless-ed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Ant. 4. Christ the Lord is born today; today, the Savior has appeared. Earth echoes songs of angel choirs, archangels’ joyful praise. Today on earth his friends exult: Glory to God in the highest, alleluia.
INTERCESSIONS
At the birth of Jesus, angels proclaimed peace to the world. We worship him now with joy, and we pray with hearts full of faith:
May your birth bring peace to all.

Lord, fill your holy people with whatever good they need,
– let the mystery of your birth be the source of our peace.
May your birth bring peace to all.

You came as chief shepherd and guardian of our lives,
– let the pope and bishops be faithful channels of your many gifts of grace.
May your birth bring peace to all.

King from all eternity, you desired to be born within time and to experience the day-to-day life of men and women,
– share your gift of unending life with us, weak people doomed to death.
May your birth bring peace to all.

Awaited from the beginning of the world, you came only in the fullness of time,
– now reveal your presence to those who are expecting you.
May your birth bring peace to all.

You became one of us and gave new life to our human condition in the grip of death,
– now give the fullness of life to all who have died.
May your birth bring peace to all.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(And now let us pray as the Lord told us:)
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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.
We ask 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
DISMISSAL
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
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