The Little Friar

Praise and honor to you, living God; you chose the Hebrew people and brought them step by step to look for a redeemer, and hope for the Christ. Give us grace to see our need and recognize salvation when it comes. God of Israel old and new, write in our hearts the lessons of your law; prepare our minds to receive the gospel made visible in your Son Jesus Christ. Living God, you called your people out of Egypt and gave them the covenant; prepare our hearts to hear your call, so that we may receive with joy the gospel of your Son and be your faithful people, now and for ever. Amen.

God of hope, when Christ your Son appears may he not find us asleep or idle, but active in his service and ready. Come, O come Emmanuel, you are the way, the truth and the life; you are the true vine and the bread of life. Come, living Savior, come to your world which waits for you. Almighty God, give us grace to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; so that when he shall come again in his glorious majesty we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.