DO NOT BE AFRAID
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.
You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross
Greeting and Introductory Words
L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.
L: We began Advent with the cry: ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. We end it with the joyful shout: ‘God is with us!’ We celebrate the truth that God is, and has always been, with his people. God is with us; God is for us; God is on our side. And therefore, despite all the chaos around us, we need not be afraid.
Penitential Rite
L: For the moments we have not allowed the birth of Emmanuel to remove our fears and have given in to fear, we ask the Lord for his forgiveness.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and splendour of the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
Gloria
Opening Prayer
L: Good and gracious God,
your angel announces glad tidings of peace,
the good news of salvation:
your Word became flesh.
Let the radiance of that glory
enlighten our lives and remove all our fears.
Reveal to all the world
the light no darkness can extinguish,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.
Reading 1 Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
Response Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Reading 2 Titus 2:11-14
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
I proclaim to you good news of great joy:
today a Saviour is born for us, Christ the Lord.
Gospel Luke 2:1-14
Reading 1 Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
Response All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Reading 2 Hebrews 1:1-6
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
A holy day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.
For today a great light has come upon the earth.
Gospel John 1:1-18
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine being with Joseph and Mary as they journey to Bethlehem and seek room in the inns, and when Mary wraps “her firstborn son… in swaddling clothes” and lays him in a manger.
What are your thoughts and feelings?
Sunday Snippets
A family was making its Christmas crib; everybody was contributing, putting in the statues and the hay. Five-year-old Scott suddenly ran into his room, brought a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and placed it overlooking Mary and Joseph. It looked so menacing in that manger.
The dad was tempted to tell Scott: “Look, that dinosaur lived millions of years before Jesus was born. He wasn’t around during Christ’s time. And it didn’t look good in the manger.” He added: “I caught myself because I realized that, in essence, he had caught a truth of Christmas. For Christmas came to help us face the dinosaurs in life… those menacing terrors that seem to be so strong, so powerful. Christmas came to defeat them.”
We have so many fears in life! We fear life, we fear death, and everything in between. We fear rejection. We fear an uncertain future. There is fear caused by epidemics and disasters; by a changing economics and a warming planet. We have and face so many dinosaurs!
The antidote to our fears is found in the coming of Christ into the world. Recall that the first words of Adam are “I was afraid.” But the first words that herald the birth of Jesus (the second Adam) are “Do not be afraid.”
There are four times when Gabriel says “Do not be afraid” in the Christmas Story: to Zechariah because his prayer for a son was answered; to Mary because she was the favoured one who would bear God’s Son; to Joseph to take Mary as his wife because what was conceived in her was from the Spirit and would save his people; to the shepherds because he brought good news of great joy. In each case, Gabriel had to tell the recipients of his message not to be afraid.
We still have our fears. And to us, too, the message is: Do not be afraid because our God has provided the remedy for our fears: he has come; he has pitched his tent among us and has given us power to become children of God. He is the light that shines in the darkness to overcome it.
And so: Do not be afraid! Happy Christmas!
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1 (Night): “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” How can I spread the light in my part of the world?
Reading 2 (Day): “In time past, God spoke in partial and various ways.” What are some of the “various ways” God speaks to me?
Gospel (Day): “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.” How do I “not accept” Jesus today? What must I do to accept him?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Sisters and brothers, we celebrate the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. And so, we come, full of confidence, to present our petitions and we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church and her leaders: that they may witness to the angel’s message that God comes to save us and bring peace to our hearts, we pray to the Lord …
R: For all peoples on the earth: that God’s gift of peace may bring forth goodwill, reconciliation, and forgiveness, we pray to the Lord…
R: For all who are ill: that God may relieve their pain and restore them to their loved ones, we pray to the Lord…
R: For all who are experiencing darkness through isolation, depression, grief, or violence: that the light of Christ may scatter the darkness and bring hope to their hearts, we pray to the Lord…
R: For families who are unable to be together on this holy night: that they may be comforted in knowledge of shared faith, we pray to the Lord…
R: For young people, here and throughout the world: that they seek always to do good as beloved children of God, we pray to the Lord…
R: For ourselves: that the angel’s message, fear not, may free us from the bonds of fear and propel us to live boldly, we pray to the Lord…
L: God our Father, let your Word become flesh among us in our words of peace and truth and in our deeds of justice and love. May his coming brighten our darkness and remove all fear. Through the same Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The Lord’s Prayer
Spiritual Communion
A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.
Post Spiritual Communion Reflection
Tonight is the holiest of nights because it is the night when Christ was born.
We celebrate the night of our dear Saviour’s birth by contemplating the scene of the Nativity: Mary caressing Jesus in her arms… shepherds excitedly hurrying to visit the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger… the wise men from Orient land led by the light of a star.
Led by the light of faith, we join them and stand by his cradle with glowing hearts… as we listen to O Holy Night.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Merciful God,
grant that the Saviour of the world,
who was born this day/ night
to bring us new and divine life,
may bestow upon us the gift of life everlasting.
Through Christ our Lord.A: Amen.
Blessing
L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.
Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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