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The Nativity of the Lord
At the beginning of the first hour
Recall the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
In perfect love, you became one of us: Lord, have mercy.
Bring joy to expectant parents
when they learn they have conceived: Lord, have mercy.
Foster the love of each mother for the child of her
womb: Lord, have mercy.
Strengthen each father's love for his unborn child: Lord, have mercy.
Banish all fear from the hearts of new parents: Lord, have mercy.
Give us the grace to accept your holy will: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the second hour
Recall the story of the Visitation (Luke 1: 39-43)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You give us the blessed example of Mary and Elizabeth: Lord, have mercy.
Send relatives to support all expectant parents: Lord, have mercy.
Provide wise counselors to guide them: Lord, have mercy.
Give them good friends to console them: Lord, have mercy.
Give them safe refuge when they are afraid: Lord, have mercy.
Through the intercession of Saint Elizabeth,
protect all unborn children and their mothers: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the third hour
Recall when there was no room in the Inn (Luke 2: 1-8)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Look with love on all pregnant mothers with nowhere to
turn: Lord, have mercy.
Give the grace of patient endurance to young fathers who
feel alone: Lord, have mercy.
Give rest in our homes and hearts to all frightened parents: Lord, have mercy.
Let us never turn away the stranger or the person in need: Lord, have mercy.
Give us rest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Lord, have mercy.
Give us rest in the ever present care of Mary, our Mother: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the fourth hour
Recall the Blessed Birth of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1: 18-25)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Bless each child awaiting birth into this world: Lord, have mercy.
Protect the child who waits in a mother's womb: Lord, have mercy.
Sanctify those who prepare mothers for the day of birth: Lord, have mercy.
Bring joy to the mother who first feel her child stir: Lord, have mercy.
Bring peace to parents who await their child's birth: Lord, have mercy.
Stir joy within the hearts of all expectant parents: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the fifth hour
Recall the Angels and the Shepherds in the field (Luke 2: 9-14)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Teach us to proclaim to the world the Good News of Life! Lord, have mercy.
Make us messengers of your good news to all who are in
need: Lord, have mercy.
Send us to the poor that they might know your love: Lord, have mercy.
Teach us perfect joy that we might convert the world with
love: Lord, have mercy.
Shepherd us to those most in need of your Gospel: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the sixth hour
Recall the Adoration of the Shepherds (Luke 2: 15-20)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Give us true wonder at the mystery of birth: Lord, have mercy.
Give joy to parents and grandparents at the birth of each
child: Lord, have mercy.
Teach us to honor and support expectant mothers: Lord, have mercy.
Teach us to honor and support expectant fathers: Lord, have mercy.
Let us see the face of Jesus in the birth of each child: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the seventh hour
Recall the Journey of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-9)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Give us the strength for the journeys you call us to make: Lord, have mercy.
Help us to follow your stars and see the wonders you set
before us: Lord, have mercy.
Let us seek Christ, the star which never sets,
every moment of our lives: Lord, have mercy.
Grant wisdom that we may never be lost on our
pilgrimage to you: Lord, have mercy.
Bring us ever before the Gospel of Life incarnate in
Jesus your Son: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the eighth hour
Recall the Adoration of the Magi (Matthew 2: 10-12)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
Let us bring the best gifts of our lives to honor new life: Lord, have mercy.
Grant us the will to give all in the service of Christ: Lord, have mercy.
May we bring all our possessions to the service of him,
who brought us life: Lord, have mercy.
May we adore the infinite miracle present at the birth
of each child: Lord, have mercy.
May we support and sustain all new parents: Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning of the ninth hour
Recall the Blessed Mystery of the Incarnation (Phillipians 2: 6-11)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
May we never cease to wonder at the joy of new life: Lord, have mercy.
May each newborn child be received as proof of God's
eternal love: Lord, have mercy.
May each newborn child be cherished as an infinite
treasure: Lord, have mercy.
May each newborn child
be preserved, nourished and loved: Lord, have mercy.
May the birth of Christ, the Son of God,
give us perduring strength: Lord, have mercy.
The Mystery of Faith
At the beginning of the first hour
Recall Christ's words at the Last Supper (John 16: 20-28)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You gave your life for us,
give us the strength to preserve the lives of others: Feed us with your love, O Lord.
On the night before you died, your love embrace us all: Feed us with your love, O Lord.
Embrace in your love the little child in his mother's womb: Feed us with your love, O Lord.
At the beginning of the second hour
Recall when Jesus was condemned to death (John 18: 28 - 19: 16)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You were unjustly condemned to die,
hear our prayers for these little children: Have mercy on us, Lord.
They washed their hands of your execution,
give the courage to defend the weak: Have mercy on us, Lord.
You stood before the jeering crowds,
grant us the courage to stand with you: Have mercy on us, Lord.
At the beginning of the third hour
Recall the Crucifixion of the Lord (John 19: 17-22)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You were nailed to the cross,
join your suffering to the children killed before birth: Have mercy on us, Lord.
You accepted death that we might know life,
strength our love for every human bring: Have mercy on us, Lord.
You were abandoned by those whom you loved,
give courage to the parents of every unborn child: Have mercy on us, Lord.
At the beginning of the fourth hour
Recall the Death of the Lord Jesus (John 19: 25-20)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You gave your last breath for love sinner,
help us to give our lives for the poor: Have mercy on us, Lord.
By dying you destroyed our death,
give us love for every human life: Have mercy on us, Lord.
In your Father's hands you have your Spirit,
accept the gift of our lives to do your will: Have mercy on us, Lord.
At the beginning of the fifth hour
Recall the Deposition of the Body of the Lord (John 19: 38-42)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
They buried your body with mourning and tears,
hear our cries for the aborted child: Have mercy on us, Lord.
You showed that the grave is not the end of life,
embrace these little children in peace: Have mercy on us, Lord.
You consecrated the grave in three days,
help us to wait in hope for your return in glory: Have mercy on us, Lord.
At the beginning of the sixth hour
Recall the Women at the Tomb (John 20: 1-10)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
As an angel announced your resurrection,
teach us to announce the Gospel of Life: Give us life, O Lord.
As you rose triumphant from the tomb,
destroy the deadly sin of abortion: Give us life, O Lord.
As you resurrection brought joy to the women,
so bring joy to the heart of every expectant mother: Give us life, O Lord.
At the beginning of the seventh hour
Recall Jesus' Appearance to Mary (John 20: 11-18)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
You met Mary in your resurrected body,
come to every expectant parent with hope: Abide with us, O Lord.
In an unexpected way she came to hear your voice,
speak words of truth to new mothers: Abide with us, O Lord.
Mary heard you speak her name,
call every child from his mother's womb. Abide with us, O Lord.
At the beginning of the eighth hour
Recall our Joyful Hope in Awaiting his Return (Romans 8: 18-21)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
To a world so burdened by sin and death,
come to lead us home: Come, Lord Jesus!
To a world where children lie in danger of death,
come to lead us home: Come, Lord Jesus!
To a world where we take the life of the unborn child,
come to lead us home: Come, Lord Jesus!
At the beginning of the ninth hour
Recall the cry Maranatha! (Revelation 22: 16-21)
After a pause for silent prayer, pray these or other invocations:
To the child who waits in her mother's womb: Come, Lord Jesus!
To the fathers and mothers who are tempted and fearful: Come, Lord Jesus!
To we who seek to defend the Gospel of life: Come, Lord Jesus!