SATURDAY MASS READING - 17th December 2016

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

Readings at Mass

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Entrance Antiphon
Cf. Is 49: 13

Rejoice, O heavens, and exult, O earth,
for our Lord will come to show mercy to his poor.


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Collect

O God, Creator and Redeemer of human nature,
who willed that your Word should take flesh
in an ever-virgin womb,
look with favour on our prayers,
that your Only Begotten Son,
having taken to himself our humanity,
may be pleased to grant us a share in his divinity.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.


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First reading
Genesis 49:2,8-10

Jacob called his sons and said:

‘Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen;
listen to Israel your father.
Judah, your brothers shall praise you:
you grip your enemies by the neck,
your father’s sons shall do you homage,
Judah is a lion cub,
you climb back, my son, from your kill;
like a lion he crouches and lies down,
or a lioness: who dare rouse him?
The sceptre shall not pass from Judah,
nor the mace from between his feet,
until he come to whom it belongs,
to whom the peoples shall render obedience.’


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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 71:1-4,7-8,17

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

O God, give your judgement to the king,
    to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
    and your poor in right judgement.

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

May the mountains bring forth peace for the people
    and the hills, justice.
May he defend the poor of the people
    and save the children of the needy.

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

In his days justice shall flourish
    and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
    from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

May his name be blessed for ever
    and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him,
    all nations bless his name.

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.


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Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Wisdom of the Most High,
ordering all things with strength and gentleness,
come and teach us the way of truth.
Alleluia!


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Gospel
Matthew 1:1-17

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ.


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Prayer over the Offerings

Sanctify these gifts of your Church, O Lord,
and grant that through these venerable mysteries
we may be nourished with the bread of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.


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Communion Antiphon
Cf. Hg 2: 7

Behold, the Desired of all the nations will come,
and the house of the Lord will be filled with glory.


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Prayer after Communion

Nourished by these divine gifts, almighty God,
we ask you to grant our desire:
that, aflame with your Spirit,
we may shine like bright torches
before your Christ when he comes.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.