← Prayer Book
Office of Readings
Sunday, December 27, 2026 • Feast of the Holy Family
Opening
O God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Invitatory
Ant. Christ is born for us. Come, let us adore him.
Come, let us exult in the Lord; let us shout with joy to God our salvation.
Let us come before his face with praise and exult in him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
For the Lord does not cast off his people; for in his hand are all the ends of the earth.
And the heights of the mountains belong to him.
For the sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us adore and fall down before God; let us weep before the Lord who made us.
For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness,
where your fathers tempted me; they tried me and saw my works.
For forty years I was close to this generation, and I said: "They always err in heart."
And these people have not known my ways, so I swore in my wrath that they will not enter into my rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Christ is born for us. Come, let us adore him.
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?
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
Psalmody
Psalm 64God's Care for the Earth
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
A hymn befits you, O God, in Zion; and a vow will be repaid to you in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer; all flesh will come to you.
Words of the wicked have prevailed over us; but you will be merciful toward our impieties.
Blessed is he whom you have chosen and received; he will dwell in your courts.
We will be filled with the good things of your house; holy is your temple,
wonderful in justice. Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those far out at sea.
You who prepare the mountains by your strength, being girded with power;
who troubles the depth of the sea, the noise of its waves.
The Gentiles will be troubled, and those who inhabit the ends of the earth will be afraid at your signs.
You will make joyful the outgoings of the morning and evening.
You have visited the earth and saturated it; you have enriched it greatly.
The river of God has been replenished with water; you have prepared their food, for this is its preparation.
Saturate its furrows; multiply its fruits; the earth is glad as it springs up and is watered.
You will bless the crown of the year of your goodness, and your fields will be filled with plenty.
The beautiful places of the wilderness will grow fat, and the hills will be girded with exultation.
The rams of the flock are clothed, and the valleys will abound with grain; they will cry out, yes, they will even sing a hymn.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Psalm 65Come and See What God Has Done
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.
Say to God: "How awesome are your works, O Lord! In the multitude of your power your enemies will lie to you."
Let all the earth adore you and sing a psalm to you; let it sing a psalm to your name.
Come and see the works of God; he is formidable in his designs on the sons of men.
He turns the sea into dry land; in the river they will cross on foot; there we will rejoice in him.
He rules in his power forever; his eyes watch over the nations.
Let the rebellious not be exalted in themselves.
Bless our God, you Gentiles, and make the voice of his praise be heard;
who has set my soul in life, and has not given my feet into stirring.
For you have proved us, O God; you have tried us by fire, just as silver is tested.
You led us into a snare; you placed afflictions on our back.
You set men over our heads; we passed through fire and water; and you brought us out into refreshment.
I will enter into your house with burnt offerings; I will repay you my vows
which my lips distinguished and my mouth spoke in my tribulation.
I will offer to you burnt offerings full of marrow, with the burning of rams.
I will offer to you bulls and he-goats.
Come, hear, and I will tell you, all who fear God, what great things he has done for my soul.
I cried out to him with my mouth, and I extolled him with my tongue.
If I have looked upon iniquity in my heart, let the Lord not hear me.
Therefore, God has heard me and has attended to the voice of my supplication.
Blessed is God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Psalm 66May the Nations Praise God
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
May God have mercy on us and bless us; may he cause the light of his face to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
So that we may know your way on earth, your salvation in all nations.
Let the peoples confess to you, O God; let all peoples give praise to you.
Let the nations rejoice and exult, for you judge the peoples with equity and direct the nations on the earth.
Let the peoples confess to you, O God; let all peoples give praise to you.
The earth has yielded its fruit.
May God, our God, bless us; may God bless us, and all the ends of the earth fear him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
First Reading: Scripture
1 John 4:14
And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
Second Reading: Patristic or Hagiographic
The Gift of the Magi
The Magi came from the east and brought gifts to the Lord. Gold was given to him as to a king; frankincense as to God; myrrh as to one who would die. Now we too can offer gifts to the Lord. If you have gold, that is the wealth of good deeds, offer it to him. If you have frankincense, that is the prayer that rises like incense to God from a pure conscience, offer it to him. If you have myrrh, and myrrh here signifies the mortification of the flesh, offer it to him. The Lord has no lack of earthly gold, but he desires the gold of your virtue. He is not without incense from Arabia, but he seeks the prayer of your heart. And myrrh — what does he need with the myrrh of Sheba? — he looks for your willingness to take up the cross and follow him. Therefore let us come to the manger where the Christ-child lies and offer him what we have: our hearts, our prayers, and our lives dedicated to his service.
Responsory
V. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
R. and we have seen his glory.
V. Full of grace and truth,
R. we have seen his glory.
Te Deum (Sundays and Solemnities)
1
Concluding Prayer
Lord God, in reading and prayer today may we come to know your Son more deeply, love him more truly, and follow him more closely; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dismissal
Let us praise the Lord.
And give him thanks.