15 December, Friday of the Second Week of Advent

A leitmotif of today’s Mass is the advent of the Bridegroom Christ. The Collect alludes to Matthew 25:1–13, the parable of the bridegroom coming at midnight. The Gospel presents both John the Baptist, the “friend of the Bridegroom” and Christ, the Bridegroom Himself (cf. Jn 3:29). Both meet with resistance and rejection. In the end, Wisdom will be justified by her children, the saints of every age. Albrecht Dürer’s drawing of Christ at the age of twelve (1506) suggests the mystery of the Divine Wisdom come in the flesh.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
MR
Behold, the Lord will come, descending with splendour,
to visit his people in peace
and establish over them life everlasting.
COLLECT
Grant, we beseech you, Almighty God
that your people may await
the advent of your only-begotten Son
with the utmost vigilance,
so that, as he himself, the Author of our salvation taught us,
keeping watch, we may go forth to meet him
with our lamps burning.
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, enlightened by the radiance of Christ
even in her darkest nights,
may rejoice to teach what is for the good of all
and lead all men and women on the way they should go,
let us pray in silence, for the Lord is near. Pause for silent prayer.
That world leaders of good will
may hearken to the commandments of God
and, instructed by Wisdom,
persevere in the struggle for justice and for peace,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
That those who suffer darkness of the mind and heart
may be opened to the light of life;
and that those who mourn the death of a loved one
may be comforted by the advent of the Prince of Peace,
let us pray in silence, for the Lord is near. Pause for silent prayer.
That we who have assembled
to hear the Word of God and to partake of Holy Wisdom’s banquet,
may recognize in the Friend of tax collectors and sinners
the Prince of Peace and the Joy of all the saints,
let us pray in silence — for the Lord is near. (Pause for silence.)
COLLECT AT THE GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
Almighty and merciful God,
who teach us what is for our good
and lead us in the way we should go,
renew in us the grace of obedience
and open the ear of our heart to the voice of your Wisdom,
that our peace may be like a river
and our righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Through Christ our Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Be pleased, we entreat you, O Lord,
by our humble prayers and offerings,
and since we can plead no merits of our own,
let your protection come to our help.
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
We wait for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will refashion the body of our lowliness
making it like to the body of his glory (cf. Ph 3:21).
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Full-fed with spiritual nourishment,
we humbly beseech you, Lord,
that by our partaking of this mystery
you would teach us
to weigh wisely the things of earth
and to cling to those of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.