The Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord, or, if there is no Sunday, 30 December.

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

Feast

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON (Lk 2:16)

The shepherds went in haste,
and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger.

The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is said.

COLLECT
Let us pray (pause)
O God, who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

When this Feast is celebrated on Sunday, the Creed is said.

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS

We offer you, Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation,
humbly asking that,
through the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and Saint Joseph,
you may establish our families firmly in your grace and your peace.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

PREFACE I OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

(Christ the Light)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

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always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For in the mystery of the Word made flesh

a new light of your glory has shone upon the eyes of our mind,
so that, as we recognize in him God made visible,
we may be caught up through him in love of things invisible.

And so, with Angels and Archangels,

with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory
as without end we acclaim:
Or
PREFACE II OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(The restoration of all things in the Incarnation)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For on the feast of this awe-filled mystery,

though invisible in his own divine nature,
he has appeared visibly in ours;
and begotten before all ages,
he has begun to exist in time;
so that, raising up in himself all that was cast down,
he might restore unity to all creation
and call straying humanity back to the heavenly Kingdom.

And so, with all the Angels, we praise you,

as in joyful celebration we acclaim:
Or
PREFACE III OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
(The exchange in the Incarnation of the Word)

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

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always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For through him the holy exchange that restores our life
has shone forth today in splendor:
when our frailty is assumed by your Word
not only does human mortality receive unending honor
but by this wondrous union we, too, are made eternal.

And so, in company with the choirs of Angels,

we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:

When the Roman Canon is used, the proper form of the Communicantes (In communion with those) is
said.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Bar 3: 38)

Our God has appeared on the earth, and lived among us.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray (pause)
Bring those you refresh with this heavenly Sacrament,
most merciful Father,
to imitate constantly the example of the Holy Family,
so that, after the trials of this world,
we may share their company for ever.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

READINGS

Year A

FIRST READING (Those who fear the Lord honor their parents.)
A reading from the Book of Sirach (3:2-6, 12-14)
God sets a father in honor over his children; a mothers authority he confirms
over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from
them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother.

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Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings
comfort to his mother.
My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he
lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his
life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your
sinsa house raised in justice to you. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (128:1-2, 3, 4-5)

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. (Cf. Ps 128:1)
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! For you shall eat the
fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R)
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like
olive plants around your table. (R)
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)

(Long Form)
SECOND READING (Family life in the Lord.)
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (3:12-21)
Brothers and sisters: Put on, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another
and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has
forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of
perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you
were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in
word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through him.
Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love
your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, youre your parents in
everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so
they may not become discouraged. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

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(Short Form)
SECOND READING (Family life in the Lord.)
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (3:12-17)
Brothers and sisters: Put on, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another
and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has
forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of
perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you
were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in
word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through him. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Col 3:15a, 16a)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly. (R)

GOSPEL (Take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (2:13-15, 19-23)
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in
a dream and said, Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there
until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him. Joseph rose and
took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until
the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to
Joseph in Egypt and said, Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who sought the childs life are dead. He rose, took the child and his
mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling
over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because
he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and
dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Year B

FIRST READING (Your own issue shall be your heir.)

A reading from the Book of Genesis (15:1-6; 21:1-3)
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram! I am
your shield; I will make your reward very great. But Abram said, O Lord God, what
good will your gift s be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward
of my house, Eliezer? Abram continued, See, you have given me no off spring, and
so one of my servants will be my heir. Then the word of the Lord came to him: No,
that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir. The Lord took
Abram outside and said, Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,
he added, shall your descendants be. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited
it to him as an act of righteousness.
The Lord took note of Sarah as he had said he would; he did for her as he had
promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set
time that God had stated. Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah
bore him. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9)

R. The Lord remembers his covenant forever. (Ps 105:7a, 8a)
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. (R)
Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord in his
strength; constantly seek his face. (R)
You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! He, the
Lord, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R)
He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand
generations, which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. (R)

SECOND READING (The faith of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac.)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (11:8, 11-12, 17-19)
Brothers and sisters: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a
place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was
to go. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age
and Sarah herself was sterilefor he thought that the one who had made the

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promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as
good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sands on the seashore.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had
received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, Through
Isaac descendants shall bear your name. He reasoned that God was able to raise even
from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Heb 1:1-2)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the
prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son. (R)

(Long Form)
GOSPEL (The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:22-40)
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of
Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as
it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be
consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two
young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was
righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon
him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before
he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to
him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: Now, Master, you may let
your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your
salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the
Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. The childs father and mother were
amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be
a sign that will be contradictedand you yourself a sword will pierceso that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. There was also a prophetess, Anna, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived
seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was
eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and

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prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke
about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned
to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled
with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

(Short Form)
GOSPEL (The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:22, 39-40)
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of
Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned
to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled
with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Year C

FIRST READING (Samuel, as long as he lives, shall be dedicated to the Lord.)

A reading from the first Book of 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 fl our, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple
of the Lord in Shiloh. After the boys 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. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10)

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord. (Ps 84:5a)

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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)
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)
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)

SECOND READING (We are called children of God. And so we are.)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint 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 Gods 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. The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Acts 16:14b)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. (R)

GOSPEL (His parents found Jesus sitting in the midst of the teachers.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to 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

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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 Fathers 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. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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