Readings:
Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12
Tit 3:4-7
Lk 2:15-20

Greeting (see First Reading)

The Lord proclaims to you:
Look, your Savior comes.
You are called “The Holy People,”
“The Lord’s Redeemed.”
May Jesus, our Lord and Savior,
be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

With the shepherds let us hurry to see the child Jesus in the manger and be happy and joyful with them. For we have a Savior among us, even today: he is here with us. With the shepherds let us praise and thank God for all we hear and see God do among us throough Jesus.

Penitential Act

God never forsakes us but seeks us out.
Let us ask him to forgive us our sins.
                        (pause)
Lord Jesus, hope of the poor,
be our strength and our future:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sinners,
be our life and our peace:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, light of those in the dark,
be our joy and our justice:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
and let the dawn of your reconciliation
come down upon us.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God that we may be open
to the coming of his Son among us
                        (pause)
Glory to you, God, our Father in heaven,
for showing us how deep your love is
by giving us Jesus your Son.
Make us aware of the poverty of our heart,
so that he can make us rich
with his forgiveness and life.
Make us see how small we are,
so that we can let him make us great;
make us hungry for goodness and justice,
to let him fill us with concern
for all our brothers and sisters far and near.
In this way, may he be born again in us today
and make a new beginning with us,
for he is our Lord and Savior for ever. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: The Savior Comes: All Will Be New
     The prophet encourages the people: God will make them new. The liturgy applies these words to the coming of Jesus. He will give a new youth to people and make God’s people holy.

First Reading: Is 62:11-12

For Yahweh proclaims to the ends of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, here comes your salvation! Yahweh brings the reward of his victory, his booty is carried before him.

They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of Yahweh; and you shall be called The Sought After, a city no longer abandoned.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 97:1, 6, 11-12.

A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.

Second Reading Introduction: God’s Greatest Gift: A Savior 
     God never tires of being good; his Son was born as our Savior; we were reborn in baptism. God’s love keeps making us new and leads us to eternal life.

Second Reading: Tit 3:4-7

Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right what was defective and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions. They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious. Since the overseer (or bishop) is the steward of God's house, he must be beyond reproach: not proud, hot-headed, over-fond of wine, quarrelsome or greedy for gain.

Gospel Introduction:Let Us Go To Bethlehem
     The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see the Savior and they told the good news to others. Should we not go and find him too, make him known to people, and, with Mary, treasure him in our hearts?

Gospel Reading: Lk 2:15-20

When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go as far as Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us." So they came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them.

The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.

General Intercessions

On this day of peace, let us pray to Jesus Christ who is near to people, so that he may help us and that nobody be forgotten. Let us say: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

–    Come, be alive among us, do not frustrate us in our expectations. For we try to prepare the way for you and level the mountains of alienation. We pray you: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

–    Come and live in our cities and towns, walk in our streets, smile to a thousand people, restore to us the joy of our youth. We pray you: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

–    Come in every country, in desert lands and overpopulated regions, in the cities of abundance, in slums that have nothing. We pray you: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

–    Come in the whole world, wipe away all tears, appease all hungers, share the joy of those who are happy. We pray you: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

–    Come back into the hearts of people, live again in every body, listen to every life, proclaim your peace to the inhabitants of the earth. We pray you: R/ Come, Jesus, be born in our hearts.

God who appeared as a child, you became vulnerable with us. You are touched by our ills; change them into joy, now in this world and for ever and ever.  R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
here are bread and wine
your gift to us,
our offering to you.
In these signs you tell us
that to love is not only to give
but also to receive.
Make us receptive and grateful,
for it is difficult to recognize
that we are dependent.
Open the doors of our hearts and homes
to love, to joy, to people,
and to you and to your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

With the shepherds who went away from the manger glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, let us praise and thank God for the coming of his Son among us.

Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

With Jesus in our midst
we pray with the fullest trust
to our Father in heaven. R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from the darkness
of sin, of our fears, of all evil.
Open our eyes to the light
of your forgiveness and love,
that your peace may be with us.
Make us free for everyone who needs us,
that together we may be your new people
who build up in hope and joy
your world and your kingdom.
Lead us to our future in you
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,
our Savior and our God.
Happy are we to receive him
with Mary and the shepherds,
with the angels and the wise men. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
with Mary, your humble servant,
we thank you for the great things
you have done here among us.
Holy is your name.
Make us sing with the angels of your glory
and of peace among the people you love,
for we know you love us all.
Let us admire and rejoice with the shepherds
and speak of your wonderful deeds.
And let your Son be reborn
in our hearts and deeds,
today and tomorrow and for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

Like the shepherds,
we have seen Jesus with the eyes of faith:
Yes, Jesus lives among us.
He has been with us here in this eucharist.
With the shepherds, let us praise God
and tell the Good News of God’s kindness
to all who are willing to listen.
May God bless you and your families:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go, take the Lord’s peace with you
and share it with all your friends. R/ Thanks be to God.