11 December, Monday of the Second Week of Advent

The Communion Antiphon of today’s Mass merits close attention. The text is borrowed from the Divine Office where it serves as the Magnificat Antiphon at First Vespers of the Second Sunday of Advent. Today we repeat it as, one by one, we approach the Holy Mysteries. Addressing herself to Christ in His Eucharistic advent, we sing, “Come, O Lord, and visit us with peace, that we may joy before you in tranquility of heart.” Veni, Domine, visitare nos in pace, ut laetemur coram te corde perfecto.
The Latin text speaks of “a perfect heart,” meaning a heart made whole. Christ, by the forgiveness of sins, restores wholeness and tranquility to the broken and troubled heart. By His word of forgiveness, He restores the heart’s capacity for joy in His presence. “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” (Lk 5:21).
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
MR
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it to the ends of the earth;
Behold our Saviour comes,
and will not delay (cf. Jer31:10; Is 35:4).
COLLECT
May our prayer of petition rise before you, O Lord,
so that, when we celebrate
the great mystery of the Incarnation of your Only-Begotten Son,
the service of our worship may be spotless and pure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
That the Church, ever rejoicing in the forgiveness of sins,
may call all men and women
to rise and walk in newness of life,
with everlasting joy upon their heads,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
That world leaders
may hear what the Lord God has to say:
“a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends
and those who turn to him in their hearts,”
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
That those who are of a fearful heart
may be comforted;
that those who are paralyzed within
may be set free;
and that those who thirst for God
may find streams in the desert and living waters to drink,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
That through the intercession of Pope Saint Damasus
whom the Church remembers today,
we may grow in love for the Word of God,
in zeal for sacred psalmody,
and in devotion to the martyrs by whose blood
the Church in every age is renewed,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
That we, trusting in the promises made by the prophets
and fulfilled in Jesus Christ,
may enter fearlessly into the joy of the Lord
and walk in his Holy Way,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
COLLECT AT THE GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
Almighty and ever-living God,
who are the strength of the weak,
the support of the feeble,
and the peace of every fearful heart;
deliver us, we pray, from inward blindness,
open our ears to hear your word,
and make sorrow and sighing to flee away,
that we, having walked in the Holy Way,
may come, singing, to the heavenly Zion,
where you are the joy and gladness of the redeemed.
Through Christ our Lord.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
GR
You will turn, O God, and bring us to life,
and Your people shall rejoice in You:
show us, O Lord, Your mercy,
and grant us Your salvation (Ps 84:7–8).
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Receive, Lord, the gifts we offer you
from among your own gifts to us;
may your power at work in the liturgy we celebrate now
be for us the pledge of your eternal redemption.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
Truly it is right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
Who in His first advent, having taken on the lowliness of our flesh,
accomplished the work You proposed long ago
and opened for us the way of eternal salvation;
so that when He comes again in the glory of His majesty
we may behold at last completed
the promised work for which we now keep watch and dare to hope.
And so with Angels and Archangels.
with Thrones and Dominations,
and with all the powers of heaven,
we sing a hymn to Your glory
and ceaselessly proclaim:
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
MR
Come, O Lord, and visit us with peace,
that we may joy before you
in tranquility of heart (cf. Ps 105:4–5; Is 38:3).
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, by the celebration of these mysteries,
grant to us who walk in the midst of passing things
to love the things of heaven
and to cling to what abides forever.
Through Christ our Lord.