Christmas Daily Prayer
Leader: O Lord, open my lips. Response: And my mouth shall declare your praise.
Psalm 110:1-5, 7
The leader and congregation alternate verses of the psalm. All repeat the antiphon in between stanzas.
Antiphon: You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
“Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Lord will wield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.”
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.
Ant. You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Glory to the Father...
Antiphon: You have been endowed from your birth with princely gifts; in eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you.
Reading: 1 John 1:1-3
This is what we proclaim to you:
what was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we have looked upon
and our hands have touched –
we speak of the word of life.
(This life became visible;
we have seen and bear witness to it,
and we proclaim to you the eternal life
that was present to the Father
and became visible to us.)
What we have seen and heard
we proclaim in turn to you
so that you may share life with us.
This fellowship of ours is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Responsory
Leader: The Word was made man, alleluia, alleluia.
Response: The Word was made man, alleluia, alleluia.
Leader: He lived among us.
Response: Alleluia, alleluia.
Leader: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Response: The Word was made man, alleluia, alleluia.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth, alleluia.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Mary: 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.
Pray either the Canticle of Zechariah (in the morning) or the Canticle of Mary (in the evening). You can find them here.
Intercessions
Leader says first part of intercession. After first intercession, the leader says the first part and the congregation says the second part. All say the repeated invocation after each intercession.
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 still expecting you.
May your birth bring peace to all.
You became man 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.
Te Deum
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.