Theme:
The Human Face of God

Readings:
Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29.
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Mt 1:1-25 or Mt 1:18-25

Greeting (see the Gospel)

The Virgin will give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name that means “God is with us.”
This God-with-us is Jesus.
May the Lord Jesus be with you always.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Christmas is indeed our assurance that God is with us. What a way to be with us: God showing himself with a human face in Jesus, one of us, born of Mary in all our human frailty, except sin. Here God shows that he accepts us, that he gives us a future, for he binds himself to us for ever. In his Son we can overcome evil in all its forms and live for God and one another. Let there be joy in our hearts and hope in our eyes, for tonight God will show us again that he is close to us with his forgiveness, his light and his love.

Penitential Act

It is to take our sins away that Jesus came,
and to bring us light and life.
Let us ask him to forgive us.
                        (pause)
Lord Jesus, we welcome you
as the human face of God,
approachable and one of us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, we welcome you
as our hope and future.
You will walk with us the road of life:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, we welcome you.
In you we are born of God;
in you we see what we have to become:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
and forgive us all our sins.
give us the strength to do
what you expect us to do and to become.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray
that God’s light may shine on us
in Jesus, his Son
                        (pause)
Our God and Father,
we have come before you
with great expectations.
Show that you are our God-with-us;
let Jesus your Son take from our hearts
the sadness of sin
and fill us with his light and love.
Let him walk by our side
and share our pains and hopes,
as he leads us to you,
our God for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

First Reading Introduction: We Are the People God Loves
     To his people deported to a foreign country, God promises: I will make you again my beloved people, bound to me in a covenant. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus.

First Reading: Is 62:1-5

For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace,
for Jerusalem I will not keep silent,
until her holiness shines like the dawn
and her salvation flames like a burning torch.
The nations will see your holiness
and all the kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name
which the mouth of Yahweh will reveal.

You will be a crown of glory
in the hand of Yahweh,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will you be named Forsaken;
no longer will your land be called
Abandoned;
but you will be called My Delight
and your land Espoused.
For Yahweh delights in you
and will make your land his spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin,
so will your builder marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice in you.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29.

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

He shall say of me, "You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior."
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Second Reading Introduction: God Is Faithful
      Paul shows how God has always remained faith­ful to his people, from the time of their liberation from Egypt to John the Baptist announcing the definitive Savior, Jesus Christ.

Second Reading: Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

So Paul arose, motioned to them for silence and began, "Fellow Israelites and also all you who fear God, listen. The God of our people Israel chose our ancestors, and after he had made them increase during their stay in Egypt, he led them out by powerful deeds.

After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom he bore witness saying: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all I want him to do.

It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised savior of Israel, Jesus. Before he appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel.

As John was ending his life's work, he said: 'I am not what you think I am, for after me another one is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.'

Gospel Introduction: Son of David, Son of Mary, Yet Born of God
      Jesus is truly human: a royal descendant of David, belonging to a sinful race, to be born of Mary. Yet Jesus, our God-with-us, is the promised Savior, his conception is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel Reading: Mt 1:18-25

This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him 'Jesus' for he will save his people from their sins."

All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home. So she gave birth to a son and he had not had marital relations with her. Joseph gave him the name of Jesus.

General Intercessions

Let us pray with great expectations to God, the Father of him who was and is and is to come, our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us say: R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For  the Church, the new people of God, that it may always proclaim to the world the message that God loves us and stays with us, let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For hearts filled with gratitude, because God wanted to become human to be near to us with his light and love, let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For eyes open to the signs of God’s presence in the world and in people,   let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For hands and minds capable of building up God’s world of truth, integrity and justice, let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For peace in this torn world, for human dignity and freedom for all, for          a spirit of responsibility and belief in the destiny of our people and country, let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

–    For trust in God and love of people, for faith in God’s future and in one another, for unity in our homes and communities, let us pray:
R/ Stay with your people, Lord.

Lord God, as you wanted to be near to us in Jesus your Son, make us near to one another by the power and love of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in this bread and this wine,
your gifts to us and our gifts to you,
you let us encounter you
when they become Jesus your Son.
As in him we experience your lasting love,
help us to share this love with one another
and to serve you in people.
Change us into new people
whom you love in Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Savior for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

With great hope, we are waiting for the fuller coming and growing among us of Jesus our Lord. The Father gives us Jesus in this eucharist as a sign that through Jesus he is with us. Let us thank the Father with joy and love.

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus, God’s Son,
our God-with-us.
Happy are we to be invited
to eat his bread of life
and to share his peace with one another.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
by the food and drink of your Son
make our hearts new, fresh and young,
open to the continuous coming among people
of Jesus, your own dear Son.
Let him stay with us always
to be our light and life
and the person whom we love and serve
in one another,
for he is our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

It is with great joy and gratitude
that we have celebrated this eucharist.
For we have received God’s assurance
that he is near us as our God-with-us
in Jesus, his Son.
We have experienced his presence among us.
Now we can go forward with fresh courage.
May almighty God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in the peace of Jesus the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.