The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is indeed right and just,
it is our duty and leads to our salvation
to give you thanks always and everywhere,
almighty and merciful God.
How wonderfully you created man
and still more wonderfully remade him.
You do not abandon the sinner,
but seek him out with a Father’s love.
You sent your Son into the world
to destroy death and sin by his Passion
and to restore life and joy by his Resurrection.
You sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts
to make us your children and heirs of your Kingdom.
You constantly renew our spirit
in the sacraments of your redeeming love,
freeing us from slavery to sin
and transforming us
into the likeness of your beloved Son.
Freeing us from slavery to sin
and transforming us
into the likeness of your beloved Son.
We thank you and bless you, O Lord,
for the wonders of your mercy;
and we join with the whole Church
in a new song of praise.
Holy, holy …

O God, who by invisible power
accomplish a wondrous effect through sacramental signs
and who in many ways have prepared water, your creation,
to show forth the grace of Baptism;
O God, whose Spirit, in the first moments of the world’s creation,
hovered over the waters,
so that the very substance of water
would even then take to itself the power to sanctify;
O God, who by the outpouring of the flood
foreshadowed regeneration,
so that from the mystery of one and the same element of water
would come an end to vice and a beginning of virtue;
O God, who caused the children of Abraham
to pass dry shod through the Red Sea,
so that the chosen people, set free from slavery to Pharaoh,
would prefigure the people of the baptized;
O God,
whose Son, baptised by John in the waters of the Jordan,
was anointed with the Holy Spirit,
and as he hung | upon the Cross,
gave forth from his side | blood and water,
and, after his Resurrection, commanded his disciples:
“Go forth, teach all nations, teach all nations,
look now, we pray, upon the face of your Church
and graciously unseal for her the fountain of Baptism.
May this water receive by the Holy Spirit
the grace of your Only Begotten Son,
so that human nature, created in your image,
and washed clean through the sacrament of Baptism
from all the squalor of the life of old,
may be found worthy to rise to the life of newborn children
through water and the Holy Spirit.
May the power of the Holy Spirit,
O Lord, we pray,
come down through your Son
into the fullness of this font,
so that, all who have been buried with Christ
by Baptism into his death
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

We praise you, O God,
we proclaim you as Lord,
O Eternal Father,
all the earth adores you.
To you sing the angels
and all the powers of heaven,
holy, holy, holy,
holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of the Universe!
Heaven and earth
are full of your glory.
The choir of apostles acclaims you
and the white-robed army of martyrs.
The voices of the prophets unite in your praise,
the holy Church proclaims your glory,
adoring your only Son,
and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
O Christ, king of glory,
eternal Son of the Father,
you were born of the Virgin Mother
for the salvation of man.
Victorious over death,
you opened to the faithful the kingdom of Heaven.
You sit at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
You will come to judge the world at the end of time.
Help your servants, O Lord,
redeemed by your precious blood.
May we be numbered with your saints
in everlasting glory.
Save your people, O Lord,
guide and protect your children.
Day by day we bless you,
we praise your name for ever.
Grant today, O Lord,
to keep us free from sin.
May your mercy be ever with us:
in you have we hoped.
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
have mercy on us.
You are our hope,
may we never be confounded.

All you works of the Lord
O bless the Lord!
To him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore!
Angels of the Lord *
Heavens of the Lord
All waters above the heavens *
All armies of the Lord*
Sun and moon
Stars of heaven *
Showers and rain
All breezes and winds *
Fire and heat *
Cold and heat *
Showers and dew *
Frosts and cold *
Ice and snow *
Night and day
Darkness and light *
Lightning and clouds
O let the earth bless the Lord – to him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore!
Mountains and hills
All plants of the earth
Fountains and springs *
Rivers and seas *
Sea-monsters and all that moves in the waters *
Every bird in the sky *
Wild beasts and tame *
Children of men *
O Israel, bless the Lord – to him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore.
Priests of the Lord *
Servants of the Lord *
Spirits and souls of the just *
Holy and humble of heart *
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael *
To him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore.
Let us praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
To you be highest glory and praise for ever!
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens.
To you be highest glory and praise for ever!
O bless the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens:
praise him!
Praise him in the heights:
praise him!
Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
He has established them for ever,
he’s set a law that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea-monsters and all the depths.
Fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his Word.
Mountains and every hill,
fruit trees and every cedar.
Beasts, wild and tame,
reptiles and flying birds.
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and rulers of the earth.
Young men and maidens,
old men together with children.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord,
for his Name alone is exalted,
his glory above heaven and earth,
he has raised up his people.
Let all his faithful praise the Lord,
Israel, the people that He loves.
Praise him!

Abba, Father, Father.
We have not received the spirit of slavery,
to fall back into fear,
to fall back into fear.
This same spirit
bears united witness with our spirit
that we are children of God.
And if we are children, we are also heirs,
co-heirs with Christ,
heirs of God.
And if we are children, we are also heirs,
co-heirs with Christ,
heirs of God.
Abba, Father, Father.

I had faith, even when I said:
"How wretched I am!"
I said in my affliction:
"No man can be trusted."
But the Lord pulled me out of death,
remembering his mercy,
and now, return to your rest,
O my soul.
What can I give back to the Lord
for the good he has done to me?
I will take, I will lift up,
I will take, I will lift up
the cup of salvation,
and I’ll invoke the name of the Lord.
I will offer you a sacrifice of praise,
crying out your name, O my Lord,
because you looked upon my state,
and you have saved me.
My prayer I lift up to you,
together with all your Church,
I shall walk in your presence,
among the living.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his children.
I will take, I will lift up…
The snares of death fettered me,
distress and anguish forced me down;
I called upon the name of the Lord
and he has saved me.
My soul, return to your rest,
you will walk in the presence of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of your God,
the God of the living.
What can I give back to the Lord
for the good he has done to me?
I will take, I will lift up…

Blessed be the Lord,
the God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
raising up for us a power of salvation
in the house of his servant David.
According to the promise made from ancient times,
through the mouths of his holy prophets,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all those who hate us.
Fulfilling in this way the mercy
he had with our fathers,
remembering his holy Covenant,
and the oath he swore to our father, Abraham,
that he would set us free from fear
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence all our days.
Blessed be the Lord...
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare a way for him,
announcing to his people salvation
and forgiveness of their sins.
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
a sun, rising from on high, will visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Blessed be the Lord…

Hail, holy Queen,
Mother, Mother of mercy,
hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping,
in this vale of tears,
in this vale of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us;
and after this our exile
show unto us Jesus,
the blessed fruit of thy womb.
O clement!
O loving!
O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us,
holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ,
of Jesus Christ,
of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The children of Bethlehem
are playing in the square,
look, the kings are coming,
there are one and two and three:
"But where are you coming from,
with your horses and your camels,
but who are you, pray, who are you?
what is it that brings you here?"
"I’m coming from the Distant Orient,
from the land of gold and silver,
but at night I cannot sleep:
I saw a star, a star in the sky."
But at night he cannot sleep:
he saw a star, a star in the sky.
The children of Bethlehem…
"I’m coming from the Distant Orient,
from the land of flowers and of perfumes,
but at night I cannot sleep…
The children of Bethlehem…
"I’m coming from the Distant Orient,
from the land of the poor and the sick,
but at night I cannot sleep…
The children of Bethlehem…
…with incense, gold and myrrh…
"We’re coming from the Distant Orient,
we saw his star as it rose,
we’ve come all this way to adore
the King of the Jews who is born here."
They’ve come all this way to adore
the King of the Jews who is born here.
The children of Bethlehem
are looking at the sky;
"Look, the star is shining
right above Lord Jesus’ house.
Let’s go quickly all together
with the horses and the camels;
with the wise men we have found
where our Saviour Christ is born."

When I awake, I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord,
When I awake, I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer,
be attentive, Lord to my cry,
listen to my plea:
my lips do not betray you, O Lord,
let judgement come from you,
let your eyes see,
let your eyes see righteousness.
When I awake...
Search, Lord, my heart,
search me at night, O Lord.
test me in the crucible, test me in the crucible,
because you know there is no malice in me,
my mouth does not speak as men do;
because I have kept your Word,
I have avoided the way of the violent one;
I’ve kept my feet firmly on your path,
and I will not stumble, I will not stumble.
When I awake...
I cry to you, Lord, answer me,
listen, Lord, to my voice,
show me the wonders of your love,
for you save whoever entrusts himself to you,
for you help whoever relies on your right hand;
guard me as the apple of your eye,
in the shadow of your wings, hide me.
Look! They want to kill me!
When I awake...
Look at them, they are closed in their pride,
their mouths speak with arrogance,
they advance against me, they advance against me!
Help me, O Lord!
Rescue me from the men of this world,
from men who believe only in this life;
fill them with good things, O Lord,
let their children have all they desire,
let them be satisfied with your riches.
because when I awake, when I awake,
I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord!

The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light.
On those who walked in a land of darkness
a great light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase:
they rejoiced in your presence
as they rejoice at harvest time,
as they rejoice when they divide the spoils.
And dominion will be upon his shoulders,
and his name will be, and his name will be:
wonderful, wonderful counsellor,
mighty God, eternal Father;
Prince of peace,
Prince of peace.
The yoke that was weighing on the people,
the yoke that weighed on their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressors,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Every boot of the trampling warrior,
every garment soaked in blood
will be burnt and consumed by fire,
for a child is born for us,
a Son has been given to us.
And dominion will be upon his shoulders…

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
like a son, I called him out of Egypt,
but the more I called him,
the further he strayed from me.
He did not see that all my care was for him.
Israel, Israel
I taught Ephraim how to take his first steps,
I guided him straight, using reins of kindness,
To him I was like one
who holds a baby close to his cheek.
He did not see...
You will return to the land of Egypt,
the Assyrian king will destroy all your sons,
because my people
refused to convert.
He did not see...
O Ephraim, how could I abandon you,
my heart is moved at the thought of parting from you,
I will not destroy you,
for I am God, not man.
He did not see...
I will roar, and his sons will come from the sea,
swiftly flying, like a bird, out of Egypt
they will come back,
from Assyria like a dove.
He did not see...

Blessed are you, Mary,
among all women, Mary!
Blessed is the fruit, Mary,
the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Mary, you have believed!
And how is it that the mother of the Lord
is coming to me? How is this?
As soon as I heard your voice,
something moved within me;
my child leapt for joy!
Mary, blessed Mary,
you have believed in the Word of the Lord.
And how is it that the mother of the Lord
is coming to me? How is this?

Happiness for the man who fears the Lord.
Happiness for the man who walks in his way.
He shall live by the work of his hands,
he shall be happy and enjoy every blessing:
his bride like a fruitful vine,
at the heart of his house;
his children like shoots of the olive,
around his table.
Happiness for the man…
Thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord
may the Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem!
May you see your children’s children!
Happiness for the man…

Shepherds, let us go! Let us go to Bethlehem!
Today a child is born, his name ‘Emmanuel!’
His name ‘Emmanuel,’ his name ‘Emmanuel:’
Shepherds, let us go! Let us go to Bethlehem!
The poor are singing, the children are laughing!
The poor are singing, the children are laughing!
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
rejoice, rejoice, today the Saviour is born!
Shepherds, let us go…
His mother is Mary, his father is Joseph.
His mother is Mary, his father is Joseph.
Rejoice…

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion from his roots;
upon him rests the spirit of the Lord,
Spirit of wisdom and of intelligence,
Spirit of counsel and of strength,
Spirit of knowledge and of piety,
Spirit of the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by hearsay,
but he will help all the oppressed.
His word will be a rod for the violent
and with the breath of his mouth he will kill the wicked.
The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
the panther will lie down with the kid,
the lion and the calf will pasture together,
and a little child will guide them,
and a little child will guide them.
A shoot springs…
The cow and the bear will stay together,
the lion will eat straw like the ox,
the infant will play over the lair of the viper,
the child will put his hand into the den of poisonous snakes;
no more evil will be done.
Because the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
Because the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
Because on that day the root of Jesse,
will be raised as a standard for the peoples
and the nations will follow him with eagerness.
On that day the Lord will stretch out His hand.
And a road will be opened,
a way for the nations,
that the Virgin will show.
A shoot springs…

O Lord, my heart has no lofty ambitions,
nor are my eyes raised with pride.
I am not looking for great things
that are above my strength.
O Lord, my heart has no lofty ambitions,
nor are my eyes raised with pride.
I am not looking for great things
that are above my strength.
But I have calmed and quietened my soul,
like a child in its mother’s arms,
like a child that has been suckled is my spirit,
like a child within me.
O Lord, my heart…
Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.
Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.

Shema Israel, shema Israel:
Adonai elohenu,
Adonai ehad!
Shema Israel, shema Israel:
Adonai elohenu,
Adonai ehad!
Listen Israel *
- Shema Israel
listen Israel
- shema Israel
the Lord is our God
- Adonai elohenu
the Lord is the only one - Adonai ehad!
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your mind,
with all your strength.
You shall fasten these words,
on your hands as a sign,
as a band round your forehead,
on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Shema Israel, shema Israel:
Adonai elohenu, Adonai ehad!
Listen Israel *, listen Israel,
the Lord is our God, the Lord is the only one!
You’ll instil these words in your children,
repeat them in your house, walking in the street,
when you go to bed and when you rise.
This is the first commandment of life,
the second is like the first:
love your neighbour as yourself.
do this, and you will live forever.
Shema Israel, shema Israel:
Adonai elohenu, Adonai ehad!
Listen Israel *, listen Israel,
the Lord is our God, the Lord is the only one!
Shema Israel, shema Israel:
Adonai elohenu,
Adonai ehad!

The Virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph
when, before they came to live together,
she was found to be with child
through the Holy Spirit.
And Joseph, who was just,
did not want to repudiate her.
He decided to send her away in secret.
How bitter are the waters, Mary!
She-lamb of God, humble lamb,
you, who don’t resist evil,
Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
pray for us, pray for us!
And Mary gave birth to her son,
swaddled him and put him in a manger
because there was no room for them at the inn.
How bitter are the waters, Mary!
She-lamb of God…
Then Joseph woke up,
took with him the child and his mother,
and in the night fled to Egypt
because Herod was looking for the child
to kill him.
How bitter are the waters, Mary!
She-lamb of God…
A cry is heard in Ramah: "ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay"
– a cry and a great lamentation:
it is Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be consoled
because they are no more.
How bitter are the waters, Mary!
She-lamb of God…
And the angel of the Lord said to Joseph in Egypt:
"Get up and take with you the child and his mother
and go back to the land of Israel;
because from Egypt I have called my son."
She-lamb of God…

You have covered death with shame,
you have thrown hell into mourning,
you have struck iniquity,
you have deprived injustice of her children,
as Moses did to Pharaoh,
as Moses did to Pharaoh.
You have brought us from slavery to freedom,
from darkness to light, from death to life.
You are the passover of our salvation,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish,
Mary, the innocent she-lamb.
You have been slain in Abel,
you have been bound in Isaac,
sold in Joseph,
abandoned on the waters in Moses,
persecuted in David,
mocked and despised in all the prophets.
You are the lamb who does not open his mouth,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish…
You were taken from the flock,
led to sacrifice,
slaughtered in the evening,
buried in the night,
your blessed body did not experience corruption.
You rose from death,
and made mankind rise
from the depths of the tomb.
You are the lamb who does not open his mouth,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish…