Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 653
Proper of Seasons: 346
Psalter: Saturday, Week III, 1035

Christian Prayer (single volume)
Ordinary: 689
Proper of the Season: 125
Psalter: Saturday, Week III, 916

Morning Prayer for December 20, Saturday in the 3rd Week of Advent

God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

As light of day returns once more,
With joyful voices let us sing,
To God of glory infinite,
To Christ our Lord for all his grace.

Through whom the great Creator’s will
Called day and night from nothingness,
Appointing them successive law,
Till time itself shall pass away.

True light of every faithful soul
Unfettered by the law of old;
No shades of night can fall that dim
Your dazzling and undying light.

O Father, uncreated Light,
Be with us as the hours go by,
That we may please your Son this day,
Filled with the Holy Spirit’s pow’r. Amen.

𝄞 “As Light of Day Returns Once More” by Kathleen Lundquist • Available for Purchase • Title: As Light of Day Returns Once More; Text: 7th-8th c.; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode IV; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Our God will come from Lebanon; he shall be as brilliant as the sun.

Psalm 119:145-152
XIX (Koph)

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,
I will keep your statutes.
I call upon you, save me
and I will do your will.

I rise before dawn and cry for help,
I hope in your word.
My eyes watch through the night
to ponder your promise.

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;
give me life by your decrees.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near;
they are far from your law.

But you, O Lord, are close,
your commands are truth.
Long have I known that your will
is established for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Ant. Our God will come from Lebanon; he shall be as brilliant as the sun.

Ant.2 May the Holy One from heaven come down like gentle rain; may the earth burst into blossom and bear the tender Savior.

Canticle – Wisdom 9:1-6,9-11
Lord, give me wisdom
I will inspire you with wisdom which your adversaries will be unable to resist. (Luke 21:15)

God of my fathers, Lord of mercy,
you who have made all things by your word
And in your wisdom have established man
to rule the creatures produced by you,
To govern the world in holiness and justice,
and to render judgment in integrity of heart:

Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne,
and reject me not from among your children;
For I am your servant, the son of your handmaid,
a man weak and short-lived
and lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws.

Indeed, though one be perfect among the sons of men,
if Wisdom, who comes from you, be not with him,
he shall be held in no esteem.

Now with you is Wisdom, who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
Who understands what is pleasing in your eyes
and what is conformable with your commands.

Send her forth from your holy heavens
and from your glorious throne dispatch her
That she may be with me and work with me,
that I may know what is your pleasure.

For she knows and understands all things,
and will guide me discreetly in my affairs
and safeguard me by her glory.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. May the Holy One from heaven come down like gentle rain; may the earth burst into blossom and bear the tender Savior.

Ant. 3 Israel, prepare yourself to meet the Lord, for he is coming.

Psalm 117
Praise for God’s loving compassion
I affirm that… the Gentile peoples are to praise God because of his mercy. (Romans 15:8-9)

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God, our Father, may all nations and peoples praise you. May Jesus, who is called faithful and true and who lives with you eternally, possess our hearts forever.

Ant. Israel, prepare yourself to meet the Lord, for he is coming.

READING Genesis 49:10

The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Your light will come, Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
— Your light will come, Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

You will see his glory within you;
— the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— Your light will come, Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.

INTERCESSIONS

To Christ our Lord, the light of the world, let us cry out with joy:
Come, Lord Jesus!

Dispel our darkness with the light of your presence,
— and make us worthy of your gifts.
Come, Lord Jesus!

Save us, Lord our God,
— that we may praise your holy name this day.
Come, Lord Jesus!

Enkindle in our hearts the flame of your love,
— and make us long to be united with you.
Come, Lord Jesus!

You bore our infirmity,
— aid the sick and those who are to die this day.
Come, Lord Jesus!

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

O God,
eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word
the immaculate Virgin received
through the message of an Angel,
and so became the dwelling-place of divinity,
filled with the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant, we pray, that by her example,
we may in humility hold fast to your will.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of 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.