“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
Collect:
O God, who through the child-bearing of the holy Virgin
graciously revealed the radiance of your glory to the world,
grant, we pray,
that we may venerate with integrity of faith
the mystery of so wondrous an Incarnation
and always celebrate it with due reverence.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *
Daily Meditation:
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.
In Zechariah’s story we see how “unable to speak” we become
when we do not believe God’s words of promise to us.
Let us trust that nothing is impossible with God.
Today, let’s look at the ways we are being invited
to be open, to surrender, to trust, to love.
Let us become instruments of God’s plan
in ways we might least expect.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory! Ps. 71
Intercessions:
To Christ our Redeemer who will come again to free from the power of death
all those who return to him, let us humbly pray:
Come Lord Jesus!
As we proclaim your coming Lord,
- cleanse our hearts of every vain desire,
Lord, may the Church which you founded,
- proclaim your greatness to all peoples.
Your law is a light to my eyes,
- let it protect those who trust in you.
You allow the joys of your coming to be foretold to us by your Church,
-may we receive you with eager devotion.
Closing Prayer:
Oh, Jesus who descended from Jesse,
you are a sign of God’s love.
I feel hopeful and expectant,
filled with a rebirth of joy and love.
I depend you so much.
You are a rock for my belief
and a sign of God’s love.
Fill me with your praise!
I want to sing your glory,
filled with joy
for the message of hope you send.
I don’t always understand
when you are acting on my behalf.
Thank you for the message of hope you send me.
Give me true faith and love
as I celebrate the mystery
of how you came to be with us.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.