December 3

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, Missionary

Introduction

One of the original group of followers of Ignatius, Francis Xavier became the first and perhaps the greatest missionary of the Jesuits. After sowing the seeds of the gospel in many parts of Southeast Asia, he began the work of the evangelization in Japan, the fruits of which were so cruelly destroyed later. He died on the way to China.

It is good to remember today a person who took the word of Christ literally: Go out and preach the gospel to the whole world.

Opening Prayer

Lord God,
the feast of St. Francis Xavier,
patron saint of missionaries, prompts us to pray
for all those who commit themselves
to sow the seeds of your good news
all over the world:
Give us many of these dedicated men and women
and make them not only people
who zealously proclaim your word
not only by what they say
but especially by the way they live it.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God,
you have enriched our lives
with the message and the very life
of your Son Jesus Christ.
May we show our loving gratitude
by doing all we can to share these gifts
with people far and near,
that one day we may all sit together
at the same table of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
in this eucharistic celebration
you have let us enjoy the light
of the word of Jesus your Son.
May people from all cultures
live one day in this light
and become aware that they are all
your sons and daughters
whom you love in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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December 6

ST. NICHOLAS
Optional Memorial

Introduction

St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra, (in Turkey) in the fourth century. He became one of the most popular saints of the Church. Historically, we know little more about him than that he lived at the time the Church had to struggle with Arianism. He must have been a very good, generous person, caring for the poor and those suffering, as the many legends around his name point to kindness and liberality, looking even for a dowry for poor girls. That is why he is the model of the giver of gifts to children and to the poor.

Commercialized, and the center of all sorts of fantasies, he became the Santa Claus of secularized Christmas celebrations.

Opening Prayer

Generous God,
we are happy to honor today Saint Nicholas,
a saint with an open hand like you.
May we be men and women
who are big-hearted enough
to let many share in your gifts,
that people may come to admire and love you
and to respond to your liberality
with great faith and trust.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

*Prayer over the Gifts

Our loving God,
we bring bread and wine before you
from your own good gifts to us
and we ask you to let them become for us
the greatest of all gifts,
your own Son Jesus Christ.
Let him make us generous to our neighbor
with all the gifts of mind and heart
with which you have enriched us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

*Prayer after Communion

Generous God,
we thank you that you have let us share
in the table of the word and the bread
of Jesus, our Savior and our brother.
May we be grateful to you and to people
for all you have given us so graciously
and sing to you our songs of praise and thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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December 7

ST. AMBROSE, Bishop, Doctor

Introduction

Prefect of Milan, Ambrose tried to prevent a riot at the election of a new bishop of Milan to succeed the Arian bishop. Someone shouted: "Ambrose bishop!" Still a catechumen, he finally accepted the charge. He became a very good pastor, with time for everybody. In his region he could put an end to Arianism and was instrumental in preparing the conversion of St. Augustine.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we thank you today for St. Ambrose.
Give to your Church today
wise and caring shepherds like him
who speak your word to us with love and zeal.
May pastors learn from him
to educate their people in the faith
with an easily understood form of preaching
that links the life of the faithful
to the worship they are giving to God.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
with bread and wine we celebrate
how close your Son is to us.
May he also bring the shepherds of your Church
close to the people under their care,
listening to them and guiding them
with love and care to the shepherd of all,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
In this eucharistic celebration
your Son Jesus has been our teacher
speaking to us of how you are concerned about us
and how we can understand and love you.
Make all bishops in the Church
wise teachers of their people,
with a sure hand and an understanding heart,
who show the way to you,
our loving God, now and for ever.

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December 8

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Theme: Paradise Restored in Mary

Greeting (See Second Reading)

We are called in Christ
to be holy and spotless.
and, like Mary, to live in God's presence.
May we respond to God's call
and may our Lord be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Mary leads the way for all the people who journey toward the Lord. Today the Church applies to Mary, the virgin conceived without sin, the words of the prophet: "I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God." Why this joy? Because Mary is like the garden of humankind in which God lets the good seed sprout. Because she is the servant of the Lord and the image of what the Church ought to be. God is faithful to his promises and through her he gave us our Savior. Mary is the first and the only one of all people who was kept from sin. She is paradise restored, where God and people encounter one another.

Penitential Act

We are not free from sin,
and we share in the responsibility for sin in the world.
Let us seek God's forgiveness
and pray that we may also share
in God's grace and goodness.
                (PAUSE)
God loves us with so much love
that he was generous with his mercy:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

When we were dead through sin,
he brought us to life with Christ:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

It is through grace that we have been saved
and raised up with Christ:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
destroy the power of evil in us
and keep your promises.
Make us your children of light
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray
that with Mary we may overcome evil
           (PAUSE)
God our Father,
we thank you for choosing Mary
as the Mother of your Son
and for preserving her from all sin
from the first moment of her life.

Let this sign of your boundless love
give us hope and strength
to overcome evil in all its forms.
May we respond to your loving goodness
with the eagerness of Mary,
by the power of the grace won for us
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading: (Gen 3:9-15, 20) The Promise of Victory Over Evil

God condemns the power of evil symbolized by the serpent. He promises that the forces of good in humankind and the world will overcome sin.

Second Reading: (Eph 1:3-6, 11-12) Called To Be God's Children

Before all ages, we have been destined to become God's daughters and sons, his holy people, through Christ's salvation.

Gospel Reading: (Lk 1:26-38) The Beginning of the Fulfillment

As the "Favored One of God," Mary is the prophetic model of those who overcome evil. With her begins the fulfillment of God's promises. With her, those who are one with Christ will learn to say Yes to God's plan.

General Intercessions
       Let us thank God our Father for giving us his beloved Son Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us ask that the work of salvation begun in Jesus and very visible in Mary may continue in us, as we pray: R/ Lord, be with us through your Son.

- For the Church of Jesus Christ, that it may be the sign to all the world that God wants to be near to his people, let us pray:
R/ Lord, be with us through your Son.

- For our world in dire need of peace, that people may understand and love one another and that we may be spared from wars and all violence, from natural calamities, hunger and sin, let us pray:
R/ Lord, be with us through your Son.

- For our Christian families, that they may be united in the Lord; for our young people, that we may give them a future to believe in; for orphans and abandoned children, that we may give them love and security, let us pray:
R/ Lord, be with us through your Son.

- For our Christian communities, that they may be centers of hope and joy and protectors of all life; that their faith and spirit of service may bear witness to the presence of Christ, let us pray:
R/ Lord, be with us through your Son.

God our Father, Mary did not keep her child, your Son, for herself alone but gave him to the world. Make our faith and love so deep and wide that we too may share Jesus with all people far and near, for he is the Lord of all, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
when Mary, the Virgin without sin,
said her YES to your plans,
the world was given its Savior.

Accept our YES in this eucharist
to bring the life and hope of your Son
to all our brothers and sisters.

Let this be the sacrifice that pleases you,
and that makes us grow day after day
in your justice and freedom.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

With joy and hope we thank the Father for giving us Mary, and for giving us Jesus through her, to make an ever-new beginning with us.
Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
With Mary we want to do God's will,
that his kingdom may come.
Let us say so to our Father in heaven
in the words of Jesus himself: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us peace in our day,
for we are powerless to break the chain
of violence and evil.
Make us messengers and instruments
of reconciliation and love
rather than agents of strife and injustice,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the full coming of your Son,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus our Lord,
the Son of the Virgin Mother;
in him, we have been chosen
to be holy and spotless.
Happy are we to be invited
to share his table. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
Mary heard the Word spoken to her,
in your name by your messenger,
and she put herself at your service.
We have heard here the Word of your Son.
Let this Word stir us
to break the chain of evil
in us and in the world around us
and to replace it with a stream
of goodness and mercy
that wells up to everlasting life.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

To a waiting world Mary gave a Savior,
because she said her YES to God's plan.
To a world waiting in our day
for meaning and hope,
we can give the peace and justice of Christ,
if we too are willing to say our YES
to God's intentions with us and the world.
For he called us to continue the work
he began in Jesus with the cooperation of Mary.
May we respond to this call
with the blessing of almighty God:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in peace
and give Christ to the world. R/ Thanks be to God.

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December 12

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Memorial

Introduction

On December 9, 1531, our Lady appeared to a young Indian convert, Juan Diego, in Tepeyac, Mexico, now part of Mexico City. On his cloak she left the impression of her image. This site became the most venerated place of pilgrimage for Latin America. Under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary was declared the patroness of the Americas. Formerly a secondary patroness of the Philippines, this memorial of Mary has been reintroduced as a celebration for the Philippines because of the former strong links of the Philippine Church with the Mexican Church.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
Like you and your Son Jesus,
Mary cared for the poor and the humble,
to whom she herself belonged.
With the whole people of the Americas
we honor her today and ask you
through the intercession of Mary
to give us a deep respect and concern
for all that is poor and little
and to let us live in your caring hand.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, lover of all that is little,
we bring before you the humble gifts
of bread, the daily food of many,
and of a little wine, the token of joy.
With these let us join in the sacrifice of Jesus,
whose Mother we honor today
with all the people of the Americas.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Our loving God,
in this eucharist we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary,
who gave us your Son and Savior.
May we rejoice in the saving love of Jesus
and in the loving care of Mary.
May we be faithful to him
by doing deeds of justice and service
and praising you with songs of joy.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

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December 13

ST. LUCY

Introduction

Saint Lucy, the virgin and martyr from Syracuse in Sicily, is greatly honored in the Roman Church because of her faith and great courage. As the young man who proposed marriage to her was not a Christian, she rejected his marriage proposal. He denounced her to the authorities as a Christian and she was cruelly tortured. Her name means "light." Scandinavian countries celebrate her memory with a feast of light.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you let the light of faith shine
in your young and courageous martyr, St. Lucy.
On her feast day we ask you:
May our faith remain young and fresh,
strong in the face of contradiction and indifference
as a treasure never to be abandoned.
May our faith be like a light
brightening not only our lives
but also shining on people around us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

*Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in these signs of bread and wine
we celebrate the death of your Son
but also his resurrection in glory.
May the eucharist give us the strength
to profess our faith
not only when it is tested in trials
but also in the life of every day,
that we may live fully as we believe.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

*Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
let the word of Jesus be to us a light
that shows us the way to you and to one another.
May the body and blood of your Son
give us the courage to bear witness
that we want to live in this light
every day you give us.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.

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December 14

ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS

Introduction

The religious name, which Juan Yepes took as a Carmelite, was a very fitting one: Juan de la Cruz. Once St. Teresa of Jesus had drawn him into the reform of the Carmelite order, trials beset him from all sides, especially from his own confreres, who misunderstood his intentions and even imprisoned him. Yet his suffering served only to deepen his interior life to bring him closer to God in a mystical union. He is one of the greatest mystics of the Church.

May we learn from this "pilgrim of the absolute who thirsted for God," as is said of him, to live in close union with God.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
how difficult it is to accept change,
even when it is for our good and that of others.
As we honor St. John of the Cross, we ask you
that in the dark night of trials, and suffering
we too may keep searching
for your light and love
in trust and peace of mind,
for you are all that matters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in this bread and wine we express
that we keep searching for you.
Deepen and purify our faith and love,
that we may come to know you better.
And confirm our trust
that nothing can harm us
and that we are always in your hands.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
in the strength of the body and blood
of your Son Jesus Christ,
we express our trust in you.
Help us to remain always pilgrims and seekers
who try to live more deeply
the truth and beauty and life
of the gospel of your Son,
that it may be good news to us,
our joy and what we live for.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Note: for the feasts of St. Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents, look in the celebrations of the week of the Octave of Christmas.

Sunday between Christmas and New Year or December 30: FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY (See Liturgy Alive for the Sundays of years A, B, or C).

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Taken from Liturgy Alive for Weekdays
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