God’s love draws us and encourages us to become a people of prayer for a fuller life in the Spirit.
We pray for Pope Leo and all the bishops of the Church. May they continue to lead by the light that is the Good News of Christ’s Gospel.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who make our laws and administer justice. May those who work for the displaced and refugees of our world find guidance in the meaning of today’s feast, that God reaches out to all people.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who face new beginnings in the year ahead—students choosing courses of study, those seeking employment, couples preparing for marriage, widows and widowers now alone. May they be strengthened by the Spirit and guided by Christ’s message in the gospels.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all of us who have been baptised into Christ’s Body, the Church. May we always be faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who united himself with the Lord’s Passion and Cross.
Through death, may he may come to share in the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick of our parish and for those who care for them.
We pray for the recently departed and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they now share the eternal life promised to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
As your people, O God, you have called us to a stewardship of prayer. These prayers we entrust to you today, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Today we celebrate the light of God come into the world. We pray that this light will bring peace, healing and justice to our world.
We pray for the needs of the Church. May the message of hope and inspiration we celebrate in Jesus’ birth go out to all nations.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for justice in our world. As we rejoice in the birth of our Saviour, let us strive to live as he did, reaching out to and welcoming all those in need.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all families during this Christmas season. May we experience the love and rejoicing of the first Christmas and remember to share our gift of family with those not so blessed.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray that the holiday season will be a time of peace and relaxation for us all, and that we will be safeguarded in our travels.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May their family and friends be comforted in the knowledge that they now share in the banquet of heaven promised to them.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Loving Father, receive these prayers that come to you today. Bless and strengthen us, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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.
The nature of the ministerial priesthood also puts into its proper light another reality, which must indeed be highly regarded, namely, the royal priesthood of the faithful, whose spiritual sacrifice is brought to completeness through the ministry of the Bishop and the priests in union with the Sacrifice of Christ, the one and only Mediator. For the celebration of the Eucharist is an action of the whole Church, and in it each one should carry out solely but completely that which pertains to him or her, in virtue of the rank of each within the People of God.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §5
The days of Christmas remind us that through our Christian initiation, we come to share in the very life of Christ. As Christ was anointed priest, prophet and king, so we come to share in being one with Christ in his priesthood. Both the ordained and the baptismal priesthood must minister together for the fullness of the priesthood of Christ to be exercised in the Church.
‘Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Saviour has been born in the world. Today true peace has come down to us from heaven.’
—entrance antiphon
Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12–13
In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people.
Psalm 145(146):6–10
R. Happy the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
1 Corinthians 1:26–31
God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, to shame the wise.
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven.
Matthew 5:1–12a
How happy are the poor in spirit.
Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.
A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §42
How sensitive is our liturgical assembly to the significance of the gestures we share during the celebration? When it comes to singing, we are very aware of our need to sing together—singing at our own tempo is not appropriate. Regarding the gestures we share, though, we are not that sensitive—some may choose to stand, while others kneel and others sit during parts of the Mass. Are we not all called to share the same posture to express and foster our unity?
‘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
Isaiah 8:23–9:3
In Galilee of the nations the people has seen a great light.
Psalm 26(27):1, 4, 13–14
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17
Make up the differences between you instead of disagreeing among yourselves.
Matthew 4:23
Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom and healed all who were sick.
Matthew 4:12–23
He went and settled in Capernaum: in this way the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled.
Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.
A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §42
How sensitive is our liturgical assembly to the significance of the gestures we share during the celebration? When it comes to singing, we are very aware of our need to sing together—singing at our own tempo is not appropriate. Regarding the gestures we share, though, we are not that sensitive—some may choose to stand, while others kneel and others sit during parts of the Mass. Are we not all called to share the same posture to express and foster our unity?
‘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
Isaiah 49:3, 5–6
I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 39(40):2, 4, 7–10
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
1 Corinthians 1:1–3
May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.
John 1:14, 12
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. He enabled those who accepted him to become the children of God.
John 1:29–34
‘Look: there is the Lamb of God.’
The Christian faithful who gather together as one to await the Lord’s coming are instructed by the Apostle Paul to sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16). Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy (cf. Acts 2:46). Thus St Augustine says rightly, ‘Singing is for one who loves.’ There is also the ancient proverb: ‘One who sings well prays twice.’
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §39
The importance that the Church places upon singing at our Sunday celebration is reflected in all the work that was done to provide us with the Catholic Worship Book II. This resource goes well beyond providing hymns that can serve our diverse communities. It also provides resources for the necessary singing of the parts of the Mass. We are also becoming aware of the need to sing the responsorial psalm as the model for the best celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.
‘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 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
On Epiphany, the Old Testament reading and the Gospel continue the Roman tradition; the text for the reading from the apostolic letters is about the calling of all peoples to salvation. On the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the texts chosen are about this mystery.
—Lectionary for Mass: Introduction, §95
Again the Church has its plans when choosing the Lectionary for these days. The days of Christmas and Epiphany remind us of the universal call to holiness that our God makes to all nations. While God may call us into his beloved Body of Christ, the Church, God invites us to reach out to all peoples with the Good News of salvation. This call will only be complete when Christ is ‘all in all’ in every aspect of our lives.
‘Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; and kingship is in his grasp, and power and dominion.’
—entrance antiphon
God has rescued us from the powers of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Through Christ the King, we offer our prayers to the Father.
We pray for Pope Leo and all our bishops. May they be inspired by the model of Christ the King, who served God’s people so humbly.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all civic leaders and rulers. May the biblical images of Christ the King and the Good Shepherd challenge civic leaders and rulers to truly serve their people.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Jesus made peace with the world through his death on the cross. We pray for our world in need of peace today. May all people be led to the sense of hope and confidence that Jesus promised us all.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
As we approach the end of this liturgical year, we pray with gratitude for our parish priests and all those who have served us this year. We look forward in faith for their continuing support.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are ill and for all who take care of them.
We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they and their families be comforted by Jesus’ promise that they will be with him in paradise.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
God of justice and peace, we ask you to remember all the people we have entrusted to you today. May we always be encouraged by the promises you have made us through your Son, Christ our Lord.
Amen.
It is fitting that this final text in the liturgy from the Gospel of Luke emphasises some dominant themes and proclaims the kingship of Jesus. Throughout this liturgical year, we have noted the radical reversal that forms the heart of the Gospel. Christ is not proclaimed a king in a scene of glorious enthronement, but instead as a broken man nailed to a cross. Jesus’ kingship is revealed, paradoxically, in the moment of his deepest humiliation. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus seeks out and saves the lost—and in the current text, it is a common criminal, rightly condemned, who proclaims the kingdom that Jesus is to inhabit. True to form, the compassionate Jesus of the Gospel of Luke assures the thief of his salvation, and he prays for God to forgive those who had brought him to this point (Luke 23:34).
The feast of Christ the King is relatively new in the church calendar. Pope Pius XI established this feast in 1925 after the world had experienced the horrors of the First World War, which had exposed the brutality and destruction unleashed by so-called civilised Christian nations. The royal house of Russia had been murdered, and kingdoms toppled in the aftermath of war. The Church’s role in social and cultural life was diminishing, and a greater separation of Church and state emerged. The feast of Christ the King aimed to directly confront growing secularism and confirm that ultimate authority resides not with nations or military power, but with Christ as the universal king. This feast occurs on the final Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year—and it proclaims that Christ presides over the whole of history, and that all of time and all the ages belong to him (CCC, §450).
The image of a king depicts someone wielding ultimate authority, to whom loyalty and obedience is owed. It is with this understanding that we celebrate Christ as king. During his life, Jesus preached about the kingdom of God while avoiding any attempts from others to make him a king in an earthly sense. He was not interested in power or glory, nor in military might. Instead, Jesus’ kingship is rooted in the profound authority of his teachings and in the recognition that he is God among us.
Mark 11:9, 10
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Blessed is he who inherits the kingdom of David our Father;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Alleluia!