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ENTRANCE ANTIFHON Cfr. Is 30, 19. 30
People of Zion, see that the Lord is coming to save all nations and will let the majesty of his voice be heard to the joy of your heart.
Gloria is not sung.
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God, let no earthly occupation serve as an obstacle to those who rush to meet your Son, rather than learning heavenly wisdom, lead us to enjoy his presence. He who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit and is God forever and ever.
FIRST READING
[He will do justice to the poor.]
From the book of the prophet Isaiah 11, 1-10
On that day a branch will sprout from the trunk of Jesse, a shoot will flourish from its root. The spirit of the Lord will settle upon him, the spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of mercy and fear of God.
He will not judge by appearances, nor will he judge by hearsay; he will defend the helpless with justice and with equity he will sentence the poor; he will hurt the violent with the whip of his mouth, with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. Justice will be his girdle, faithfulness will tighten his waist.
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the panther will lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion will graze together, and a little boy will graze them. The cow will graze with the bear and her cubs will live together. The lion will eat straw with the ox.
The child will play over the snake's hole; the creature will reach into the snake's hiding place. They will not harm or destroy all my holy mountain, because just as the waters fill the sea, so the country is full of the knowledge of the Lord.
On that day the root of Jesse will rise as a flag of the peoples, all the nations will seek it and his dwelling will be glorious. God's word.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM from Psalm 71, 2. 7-8.12-13. 17
R. Come, Lord, king of justice and peace.
Communicate, Lord, to the king your judgment and your justice, to him who is the son of kings; so your servant will come out in defense of your poor and rule your people justly. R.
Justice will flourish in his days and peace will reign, era after era.
His kingdom will stretch from sea to sea, and from one end of the earth to the other. R.
He will deliver the weak from the powerful and help the one who is helpless; he will take pity on the helpless and poor and will save the life of the unfortunate. R.
May they bless the Lord eternally and as much as the sun, long live his name. May he be the blessing of the whole world and the nations acclaim him blessed. R.
SECOND LECTURE
[Christ saved all men.]
From the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans 15, 4-9
Brethren: Everything that has been written in the holy books in the past was written for our instruction, so that, through the patience and consolation that the Scriptures give, we may maintain hope.
May God, the source of all patience and consolation, grant you to live in perfect harmony with one another, according to the spirit of Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and one voice you may praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, to the glory of God. I mean by this, that Christ put himself at the service of the Jewish people, to demonstrate the faithfulness of God, fulfilling the promises made to the patriarchs and that for his mercy the pagans praise God, according to what the Scripture says: That is why you I will praise and sing hymns to your name.
God's word.
ACCLAMATION BEFORE THE GOSPEL Cf. Lc 3, 4. 6
R. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, and all men will see the Savior. A. Hallelujah.
GOSPEL
[Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.]
From the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew 3, 1-12
At that time, John the Baptist began to preach in the Judean desert, saying: "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near." John is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke, when he said: A voice cries out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, straighten his paths. Juan wore a camel hair tunic, girded with a leather belt, and fed on grasshoppers and wild honey. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, of all Judea and of all the region near the Jordan came to hear it; they confessed their sins and he baptized them in the river.
Seeing that many Pharisees and Sadducees were going to be baptized, he said to them: "Breed of vipers, who told you that you will be able to escape the punishment that awaits you? Show your repentance with works and do not delude yourself thinking that you have for father to Abraham, for I assure you that even from these stones God can draw children of Abraham.The ax is already laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not bear fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water, as a sign that you have repented; but the one who comes after me is stronger than me, and I am not even worthy of taking off his sandals. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire from him. He has the pitchfork in his hand to separate the wheat from the chaff. He will keep the wheat in his barn and burn the chaff with an unquenchable fire."
Lord's word.
It is called Creed.
INTERCESSIONS:
Let us go out to meet the Lord, who is drawing near to us, and let us confidently present to him our prayer:
1. That the Church live joyfully, without worrying about anything, and – full of hope – believe that the Lord is close to her, we pray to the Lord.
2. That our time –with God's help– may enjoy security, joy and peace, we pray to the Lord.
3. That the Lord, with his coming, comfort downcast hearts and strengthen bending knees, we pray to the Lord.
4. So that we firmly believe in the gifts that God promises us and – helped by divine grace – that we prepare ourselves to receive the aid that He sends us, we pray to the Lord.
Listen, Almighty and Eternal God, to our prayers so that, renewed by the Holy Spirit, we may make present in every human relationship that justice and peace that the Incarnation of your Son made flourish on our earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
May our humble supplications and offerings be pleasing to you, Lord, and since we have no merits to lean on, help us with the powerful help of your benevolence.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Advent Preface I or III, pp. 484 or 486 [485 or 487].
COMMUNION ANTIFHON Bar 5, 5; 4, 36
Rise up, Jerusalem, climb on high, so that you contemplate the joy that comes to you from God.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Satisfied by the food that nourishes our spirit, we pray, Lord, that, through our participation in these mysteries, you teach us to wisely value the things of earth and to set our hearts on those of heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.