Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Processional Hymn - What Child Is This?
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
1st Reading – 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual Nazirite.”
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: “Pardon, my lord!
“As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
“Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 84
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
Happy they who dwell in your house!
Continually they praise you.
Happy the men whose strength you are!
Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob!
O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
2nd Reading – 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.
And so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.
Gospel – Luke 2:41-52
Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us?
“Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me?
“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
Prayer for Our Lady of Angels Parish
Heavenly Father, we thank you for gathering us together and calling us to serve as your disciples.
You have charged us through your Son, Jesus, with the great mission of evangelizing and witnessing your love to the world.
Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern your will for the spiritual renewal of our parish.
Give us strength, courage, and clear vision as we use our gifts to serve you.
We entrust our parish family to the care of Mary, our mother, and ask for her intercession and guidance, as we strive to build a parish that loves God, embraces all people, and shares the Gospel joyfully.
Amen.
Offertory Hymn - The Aye Carol
Who is the baby an hour or two old
Looked for by shepherds far strayed from their fold,
Lost in the world though more precious than gold?
This is God with us in Jesus.
Who is the woman with child at her breast,
Giving her milk to earth’s heavenly guest,
Telling her mind to be calm and at rest?
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Who is the man who looks on at the door,
Welcoming strangers, some rich but most poor,
Scanning the world as if somehow unsure?
Joseph, the father of Jesus.
Who are the people come in from the street,
Some to bring presents and some just to meet,
Joining their a song to what angels repeat?
These are the new friends of Jesus.
Will you come with me, ev’n though I feel shy,
Come to his cradle and come to his cry,
Give him your nod or your “yes” or your “aye,”
Give what you can give to Jesus?
Communion Hymn - The Wood of the Cradle
Wood of the cradle, wood of the cross,
Bearing a lifetime of joy and of loss,
Who is your loved one?
Who could he be,
Born in a manger to die on a tree?
This, this is Jesus the Lord,
Here in the body and blood outpoured.
Come, come, come walk in his ways.
Kneel at the manger and rise from the grave.
Shepherds lie sleeping, deep in their dreams;
Angels awaken them. “What could this mean?
Whom do you herald? Whom must we find?
A child in a Manger? Our God born in time?”
This, this is Jesus the Lord,
Here in the body and blood outpoured.
Come, come, come walk in his ways.
Kneel at the manger and rise from the grave.
Star in the heavens bearing new light,
Guiding the sages and ages this night:
Where will you lead us? Where can he be,
The child born of myst’ry who died on a tree?
This, this is Jesus the Lord,
Here in the body and blood outpoured.
Come, come, come walk in his ways.
Kneel at the manger and rise from the grave.
Come, all who hunger, come, all who thirst;
Come, all who seek him. God's joy on the earth.
Find him a shelter, bright, safe, and warm;
See in all people his love being born.
This, this is Jesus the Lord,
Here in the body and blood outpoured.
Come, come, come walk in his ways.
Kneel at the manger and rise from the grave.
Recessional Hymn - Good Christian Friends Rejoice
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
O give heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now you hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened heaven's door,
And we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now you need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
