Leviticus 13:1–2, 44–46
The unclean man must live outside the camp.
Psalm 31(32):1–2, 5, 11
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1
Take me for your model, as I take Christ.
Luke 7:16
A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.
Mark 1:40–45
The leprosy left the man at once, and he was cured.
It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the Priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord’s Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that, in the cases where this is foreseen, they partake of the chalice, so that even by means of the signs Communion may stand out more clearly as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §85
In our generation, many of our communities have had to become familiar with Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest as there may not be enough priests available to preside. Often during such celebrations there will be a Liturgy of the Word, during which Communion from a previous Mass may be distributed. Significantly, this is not a Mass, since we need an ordained priest to preside for the Mass. Likewise, during Mass, we usually do not take Communion from the tabernacle, but by giving Communion from the altar we ensure that participation in the sacrifice may be maintained.
‘Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name’
—entrance antiphon
Job 7:1–4, 6–7
My life is but a breath.
Psalm 146(147):1–6
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the broken-hearted.
1 Corinthians 9:16–19, 22–23
I should be punished if I did not preach the Gospel.
Matthew 8:17
He bore our sickness, and endured our suffering.
Mark 1:29–39
He cast out devils and cured many who were suffering from disease.
Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as was once the case, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still keeps its spiritual efficacy and significance. Even money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, are acceptable.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §73
Out of the practice of the faithful providing the bread and wine from the work of their own hands has developed our practice today of making a collection, usually by way of money, and then processing it to the altar along with the bread and wine needed for this celebration. It is important that these two processions are united so that the gifts of the community are linked with the actual altar of the celebration. By this unity the people recognise that they too are making sacrifice and are then caught up with the consecration of the bread and wine to be the Body of Christ.
‘O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God’
—entrance antiphon
Deuteronomy 18:15–20
I will raise up a prophet and put my words into his mouth.
Psalm 94(95):1–2, 6–9
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
1 Corinthians 7:32–35
Give your undivided attention to the Lord.
Matthew 4:16
A people in darkness have seen a great light: a radiant dawn shines on those lost in death.
Mark 1:21–28
Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
After the recitation of the Symbol or Creed, the Priest, standing at the chair with his hands joined, by means of a brief address calls upon the faithful to participate in the Universal Prayer. Then the cantor, the reader, or another person announces the intentions from the ambo or from some other suitable place while facing the people. The latter take their part by replying in supplication.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §138
The universal prayer, elsewhere called the prayer of the faithful, is very much built upon the participation of the faithful—it is the intercessory role of the Body of Christ that gives authority to the prayer. When the Body unites in petitioning the Father in Jesus’ name, the prayer will be heard. It is important for those preparing the intentions that they always prepare them aware of the great diversity of the assembly who will be invited to make them their own.
‘Save us, O Lord our God! And gather us from the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, and make it our glory to praise you. Save us, O Lord our God! And gather us from the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, and make it our glory to praise you’
—entrance antiphon
Jonah 3:1–5, 10
The people of Nineveh renounce their evil behaviour.
Psalm 24(25):4–6, 7b–9
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:29–31
The world as we know it is passing away.
Mark 1:15
The kingdom of God is near: believe the Good News!
Mark 1:14–20
I will make you into fishers of men.
Then the reader goes to the ambo and, from the Lectionary already placed there before Mass, proclaims the First reading, to which all listen. At the end, the reader pronounces the acclamation, The word of the Lord, and all reply, Thanks be to God. Then a few moments of silence may be observed, if appropriate, so that all may meditate on what they have heard.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §13
During the Liturgy of the Word, all the faithful are invited to exercise their baptismal priesthood by attentive listening to the word of God. This Word will become alive and active if the assembly, like fertile soil, produces the many fruits of the Spirit. In fact, attentive listening and silent reflection give the Spirit of God the opportunity to be ever creative in our world today. In this way, we are all invited by our calling in Christ to be participants in the celebration.
‘O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place’ —entrance antiphon
1 Samuel 3:3–10, 19
‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’
Psalm 39(40):2, 4, 7–10
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
1 Corinthians 6:13–15, 17–20
Do not sin against your own body.
John 1:41, 17
We have found the Messiah: Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
John 1:35–42
‘We have found the Messiah.’
Above all, the Second Vatican Council, which recommended ‘that more perfect form of participation in the Mass by which the faithful, after the Priest’s Communion, receive the Lord’s Body from the same Sacrifice,’ called for another desire of the Fathers of Trent to be put into effect, namely, that for the sake of a fuller participation in the Holy Eucharist ‘at each Mass the faithful present should communicate not only by spiritual desire but also by sacramental reception of the Eucharist’.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §13
It has been a long-standing desire of the Church that the faithful would fully participate in the Mass by receiving Communion at the Mass and that Communion will be from the hosts consecrated at that Mass and not from the tabernacle. In this way, the faithful will be able to exercise their baptismal priesthood by offering and receiving the sacrifice of the Mass.
‘All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah 55:1–11
Come to me and your soul will live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
Isaiah 12
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
1 John 5:1–9
Jesus Christ came by water and blood.
cf. John 1:29
John saw Jesus approaching him, and said: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Mark 1:7–11
‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’
In the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond in some sense to the Word of God which they have received in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §69
Out of the hearing of the word of God by the assembly, the faithful turn in prayer to their compassionate God to intercede for the needs of the world and their community. The prayer of the faithful needs to be formed by the assembly and not simply taken from a collection of texts: these collections may serve as examples for writing the prayers, but the faithful hearing by the assembly needs to be the source of their prayers.
‘After the Lord was baptised, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah 60:1–6
Above you the glory of the Lord appears.
Psalm 71(72):1–2, 7–8, 10–13
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Ephesians 3:2–3, 5–6
It has now been revealed that pagans share the same inheritance.
Matthew 2:2
We have seen his star in the East; and have come to adore the Lord.
Matthew 2:1–12
The visit of the Magi
The celebration of the Eucharist is the action of Christ and of the Church, namely, of the holy people united and ordered under the Bishop. It therefore pertains to the whole Body of the Church, manifests it, and has its effect upon it.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §91
Our Sunday Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s presence in this very place. We give Christ the possibility of repeating the story of Christmas, by giving room for the Word to become flesh. Our Eucharist manifests the Body of the church and, in so doing, has an effect upon us, the community of the church. Thus our gathering has to tell the truth that we are the Body of Christ. Divisions, self-centred behaviour, anger and revenge do not reflect such a truth and cannot be present when we celebrate Mass.
‘Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; and kingship is in his grasp, and power and dominion’
—entrance antiphon
Genesis 15:1–6, 21:1–3
Your heir shall be your own flesh and blood.
Psalm 127(128):1–5
R. Happy are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Colossians 3:12–21Family life in the Lord
Hebrews 1:1–2
In the past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets; now he speaks to us through his Son.
Luke 2:22–40
My eyes have seen your salvation.
After the psalmody (at Compline) there is a reading, followed by the responsory, Into your hands. Then, as a climax to the whole hour, the Canticle of Simeon, Lord, now you let your servant go in peace follows, with its antiphon.
—General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, §89
With these words, the church describes the closing time of prayer that she assigns to the final prayer of each day—the Night Prayer. This daily cycle of praying has been restored by the liturgical reform to be the official prayer of the church for all the faithful—it is not limited to the clergy and religious as a source of daily prayer, but all Christian communities are welcome to use it as their liturgical prayer. The contents of this prayer are the Psalms (which were the source for prayer for Jesus), and the context is a gathering of the faithful. To the Night Prayer is added the Canticle of Simeon, which appears in today’s Gospel. On this Feast of the Holy Family, we could gather with our own family to make it our prayer, and could use it each day as our family prayer.
‘The shepherds went in haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah 52:7–10
Rejoice, for the Lord is consoling his people.
Psalm 97(98):1–6
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Hebrews 1:1–6
God has spoken to us through his Son.
A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth.
John 1:1–18
The Word was made flesh, and lived among us.
Since, however, the celebration of the Eucharist, like the entire Liturgy, is carried out by means of perceptible signs by which the faith is nourished, strengthened, and expressed, the greatest care is to be taken that those forms and elements proposed by the Church are chosen and arranged, which given the circumstances of persons and places, more effectively foster active and full participation and more aptly respond to the spiritual needs of the faithful.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §20
The celebration of Christmas reminds us that our liturgy is caught up in the human elements of life—we use symbols taken from our daily living to encounter the very mystery of Christ. Notably, we do this in the celebration of Mass, where we use bread and wine to encounter the very presence of Christ. To these elements are added the active and full participation of the Christian community.
‘A child is born for us, and a son is given to us; his sceptre of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Messenger of great counsel’
—entrance antiphon
2 Samuel 7:1–5, 8–12, 14, 16
Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me.
Psalm 88(89):2–5, 27, 29
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Romans 16:25–27
The mystery is revealed that was kept secret for endless ages.
Luke 1:38
I am the servant of the Lord: may his will for me be done.
Luke 1:26–38
‘I am the handmaid of the Lord.’
By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
—The Order of Mass, §24
Each time we celebrate Mass, this prayer is made while the wine and water are prepared in the chalice for the celebration. At every Mass, we are reminded of the mystery of Christmas: that God who is divine has become human in Christ Jesus, so that we who are human may become divine! Christmas is much greater than a story about a baby; it is a deep theological statement about the very nature of humanity: we are called and empowered by our God to be his ambassadors in today’s world. God has taken flesh among us and has not abandoned us, even in all our brokenness. The story of each and every human person is sacred to God. We who are the ambassadors of God must live with God’s vision of love for our world.
‘Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour’
—entrance antiphon