COLLECT
O God, who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy
Family, graciously grant that we may
imitate them in practising 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,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Priest: In the name of the Father and
of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit.
People: Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our
Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And with your spirit.

The absolution by the priest follows:

May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

PENITENTIAL ACT
Brethren (Brothers and sisters),
let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to
celebrate the sacred mysteries.

I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I
have failed to do,
Striking your breast as you say:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary
ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

SIT

Hark, the herald angels sing,
glory to the new-born King;
peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled:
joyful all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies,
with the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark, the herald angels sing,
glory to the new-born King.
Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
hail th’incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with us to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of
good will.
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great
glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten
Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the
Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of
the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Lk 2:16
The shepherds went in haste,
and found Mary and Joseph and
the Infant lying in a manger.

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
GLORIA

28th December 2025

The Liturgy of the Word

Entrance Hymn

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

FIRST READING 3:2-6.12-14
A reading from the book of
Ecclesiasticus
The Lord honours the father in his
children,
and upholds the rights of a mother
over her sons.
Whoever respects his father is atoning
for his sins, he who honours his
mother is like someone amassing a
fortune.
Whoever respects his father will be
happy with children of his own,
he shall be heard on
the day when he prays.
Long life comes to him who honours
his father,
he who sets his mother at ease is
showing obedience to the Lord.
My son, support your father in his old
age, do not grieve him during his life.
Even if his mind should fail, show him
sympathy,
do not despise him in your health and
strength; for kindness to a father shall
not be forgotten but will serve as
reparation for your sins.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps127:1-5.R.v.1

R. O blessed are those who fear
the Lord and walk in his ways!

1. O blessed are those who fear the
Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall
eat.
You will be happy and prosper. R.

2. Your wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table. R.

3. Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life! R.

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ACCLAMATION Col3:15.16
Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ reign in
your hearts; let the message of

Christ find a home with you.
Alleluia!

SECOND READING 3:12-17
A reading from the letter of St Paul
to the Colossians
You are God’s chosen race, his
saints; he loves you and you should
be clothed in sincere compassion, in
kindness and humility, gentleness and
patience. Bear with one another;
forgive each other as soon as a
quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven
you; now you must do the same. Over
all these clothes, to keep them
together and complete them, put on
love. And may the peace of Christ
reign in your hearts, because it is for
this that you were called together as
parts of one body. Always be thankful.

Let the message of Christ, in all its
richness, find a home with you. Teach
each other, and advise each other, in
all wisdom. With gratitude in your
hearts sing psalms and hymns and
inspired songs to God; and never say
or do anything except in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through him.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PROFESSION OF FAITH

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial
with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
(All bow during the next three lines)
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and
the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is
adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and
apostolic Church.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

SIT

Raising the host, the priest says:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all
creation, for through your goodness
we have received the bread we offer
you: fruit of the earth and work of
human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.

Facing the people the priest says:

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters),
that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at
your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good, and the good of all
his holy Church.

The priest pours wine and a little water
into the chalice, saying quietly:
By the mystery of this water and wine
may we come to share in the divinity
of Christ,
who humbled himself to share in our
humanity.
Raising the chalice, the priest says:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all
creation, for through your goodness
we have received the wine we offer
you: fruit of the vine and work of
human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God for ever.
Bowing the priest says quietly:
With humble spirit and contrite heart
may we be accepted by you, O Lord,
and may our sacrifice in your sight this
day be pleasing to you, O Lord.
Then the priest washes his hands, saying quietly:
Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity;
and cleanse me from my sin.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

GOSPEL 2:13-15.19-23
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.

After the wise men had left, the angel
of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream and said, “Get up, take the
child and his mother with you, and
escape into Egypt, and stay there until
I tell you, because Herod intends to
search for the child and do away with
him.” So Joseph got up and, taking
the child and his mother with him, left
that night for Egypt, where he stayed
until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil
what the Lord had spoken through the
prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the
Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph

in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the
child and his mother with you and go
back to the land of Israel, for those
who wanted to kill the child are dead.”
So Joseph got up and, taking the child
and his mother with him, went back to
the land of Israel. But when he learnt
that Archelaus had succeeded his
father Herod as ruler of Judaea he
was afraid to go there, and being
warned in a dream he left for the
region of Galilee. There he settled in a
town called Nazareth. In this way the
words spoken through the prophets
were to be fulfilled:
He will be called a Nazarene.

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

I confess one Baptism for the
forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

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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.
Amen.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER III
PREFACE OF Nativity of The Lord I
The Lord be with you.
And with your Spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
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.
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 recognise 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:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven . . .

The mystery of faith:
Save us, Saviour of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.

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Communion Rite

You are indeed Holy, O Lord,
and all you have created
rightly gives you praise,
for through your Son our Lord Jesus
Christ, by the power and working of
the Holy Spirit, you give life to all
things and make them holy, and you
never cease to gather a people to
yourself, so that from the rising of the
sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may
be offered to your name.

Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore
you: by the same Spirit graciously
make holy these gifts we have
brought to you for consecration, that
they may become the Body and @

Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus
Christ, at whose command we
celebrate these mysteries.
For on the night he was betrayed
he himself took bread,
and, giving you thanks, he said the
blessing,
broke the bread and gave it to his
disciples, saying:

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT
OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

In a similar way, when supper was
ended, he took the chalice,
and, giving you thanks, he said the
blessing,
and gave the chalice to his disciples,
saying:

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND
DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY
BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND
ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR
YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says:
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate
the memorial of the saving Passion of
your Son,
his wondrous Resurrection and
Ascension into heaven, and as we
look forward to his second coming, we
offer you in thanksgiving this holy and
living sacrifice.

Look, we pray, upon the oblation of
your Church and, recognising the
sacrificial Victim by whose death
you willed to reconcile us to yourself,
grant that we, who are nourished by
the Body and Blood of your Son and
filled with his Holy Spirit, may become

one body, one spirit in Christ.
May he make of us
an eternal offering to you,
so that we may obtain an inheritance
with your elect,
especially with the most Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
with the blessed Apostles and
glorious Martyrs (with (with Saint N.,
the Saint of the day or Patron Saint)
and with all the Saints, on whose
constant intercession in your presence
we rely for unfailing help.
May this Sacrifice of our
reconciliation,
we pray, O Lord, advance the peace
and salvation of all the world. Be
pleased to confirm in faith and charity
your pilgrim Church on earth,
with your servant Leo, our Pope, and
N. our Bishop, his assistant Bishop(s)
the Order of Bishops, all the clergy,
and the entire people you have
gained for your own.
Listen graciously to the prayers of this
family,
whom you have summoned before you:
in your compassion, O merciful
Father, gather to yourself all your
children scattered throughout the world.
To our departed brothers and sisters
and to all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life,
give kind admittance to your kingdom.
There we hope to enjoy for ever the
fullness of your glory
The Priest joins his hands.
through Christ our Lord,
through whom you bestow on the
world all that is good. †

The Priest takes the chalice and the paten
with the host and, elevating both, he says:

Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

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I thank you Jesus, that when you
came into this world you came to a
humble home as a member of a
simple family.
Come into my home today, and stay
always with me and my family.
My Jesus, forgive me all the times
that through my own fault I have lost
you. Forgive me the faults
that make me difficult to live with.
Forgive me when I am too self-centred
and do things that get on the nerves of
other members of the family,and go
on doing them even when I am
asked not to.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Bar 3: 38
Our God has appeared on the
earth, and lived among us.

The peace of the Lord be with you
always.
And with your Spirit.
The priest may add these or similar words.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

The priest places a small piece of the host in
the chalice saying quietly:
May this mingling of the body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
bring eternal life to us who receive it.

Meanwhile the people sing or say:
Lamb of God, you take away the
sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the
sins of the world
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the
sins of the world
grant us peace.

May the Body of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.

The Priest reverently consumes the Body of
Christ.
Then he takes the chalice and says quietly:
May the Blood of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.

The Priest raises a host slightly and shows it
to each of the communicants, saying:
The Body of Christ.
Amen.

The priest says quietly:
May the receiving of your Body and
Blood, Lord Jesus Christ,
not bring me to judgement and
condemnation, but through your loving
mercy be for me protection in mind
and body, and a healing remedy.

Raising the host the priest says:
Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of
the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper
of the Lamb.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
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. Amen.

O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to
Bethlehem;
come and behold him,
born the king of angels

O come, let us adore him, (x3)
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless
sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet, in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
O holy child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell:
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel.

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Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and
unity in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus
Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the
glory
are yours, now and for ever.

And together with the people he says once:

Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

Through the prayers of Mary and
Joseph, help me to find you at all
times, to find you in your Church, in
the Eucharist, in the words of
Scripture, and even in other members
of my family and the events of daily
life. Lord, bless my family, grant peace
to my home, and bring us to the
happiness of your family in heaven.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you
my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in
my last agony. Jesus, Mary and
Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in
peace with you.

Imprimi Potest: Concordat Cum Originali: @ Most Rev. Alan McGuckian SJ, Bishop of Down and Connor. Nihil Obstat: Excerpts from the
English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy corporation. Origination and printing
by Shanway Press, email: info@shanway.com T: 028 9022 2070

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE: No.11
Keep your family, we pray, O Lord,
in your constant care,
so that, under your protection,
they may be free from all troubles
and by good works show dedication to
your name. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty
God, the Father, and the Son, @ and
the Holy Spirit, come down on you and
remain with you for ever. Amen.

Go and announce the Gospel of the
Lord. Thanks be to God.

Communion Hymn

Private Prayer after Communion

Concluding Rites

Recessional Hymn