Liturgy

Let us begin our liturgy in prayer as a community.
Our response will be highlighted in yellow.
Today,
let us add our voices to the chorus
of voices in the wilderness –
Mary, Simeon, Elizabeth, John the Baptist –
who called before them
to prepare us for the Lord.
“Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Messiah, in you lions and lambs lie down together.
In you the poor in spirit are blessed.
At your birth, humility became glory,
and gentleness the task of the greatest.
You see our hearts’ desperation for the fullness of life.
You see the ways we go astray seeking it.
Emmanuel,
make us merciful to each other
and right with the world.
God-with-us,
be our shalom.
In the name of Mother-Father God,
Christ the word incarnate,
and the Spirit sent as our peace,
may it be so. Amen.

(Vox Prayer Team)

Scripture

We invite you to hear from the Gospel according to Luke 2:8-14

8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you
good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of
cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God
in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

The Good News of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.

Benediction

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Spirit of Shalom, grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to your full life.
Vox Liturgy December 08, 2024
God of heaven and earth,
Christ of Bethlehem,
Spirit of our souls,
busy our hands
with pursuit of your peace.
Amen.

(Vox Prayer Team, adapted from Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi)

[photo by Barthelemy de Mazenod]