SMC ENGLISH MASS - 4th Sunday of Advent Year A (21 Dec 2025)
SMC English Mass - 4th Sunday of Advent Year A (21 Dec 2025)
The Jubilee Prayer 2025
Pilgrims of Hope
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us,
Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever
Amen
PROCESSIONAL HYMN
O come, Emmanuel #C21 P.136
1. O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in earthly exile here
Until the Son of God appear
* Rejoice, rejoice, O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel
2. O come, Thou wisdom, Son divine
Our weaken'd will's to Thee incline
And shed Thy light o'er life's dark way
Lest, lured by sin, we go astray
3. O come, Thou sprout of Jesse's tree
Free us from satan's tyranny
From fires of hell Thy people save
And give us vict'ry o'er the grave
Sign of the cross
Priest ✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Greeting
P✠: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And with your spirit.
Penitential Act
P✠: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
All: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, (striking their breast) through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Kyrie Eleison
P✠: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
P✠: You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
P✠: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Gloria
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise You. We bless You. We adore you. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, O God almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father: you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Collect
P✠: Let us pray (pause)
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
1st Reading – Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel. - The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 24:1-2,3-4,5-6
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
2nd Reading – Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostles hip, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Alleluia – Matthew 1:23
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel - Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. - The Gospel of the Lord
All : Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
OFFERTORY HYMN
For God so Loved the world #082 P.27
For God so loved the world [God loved the world]
That He gave His Son [He gave His son]
That whosoever would believe in Him [Whosoever would believe in Him]
* Should not perish, but have everlasting life [Everlasting, everlasting life]
P✠: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
Prayer Over The Offerings
P✠: May the Holy Spirit, O Lord, sanctify these gifts laid upon your altar, just as he filled with his power the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
P✠: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
P✠: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right and just.
P✠: It is truly right and just,.... , as with one voice we acclaim:
Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
P✠: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the….
At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
P✠: In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
P✠: The mystery of faith.
All: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
P✠: Therefore Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection,.....
P✠: Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
P✠: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
P✠: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.
P✠: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
P✠: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
Agnus Dei
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
P✠: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
COMMUNION
My God loves me #209 P.69
1. My God loves me, His love will never end
He rests within my heart for my God loves me
2. His gentle hand. He stretches over me
Though storm clouds threaten the day, He will set me free
3. He comes to me in sharing bread and wine
He brings me life that will reach past the end of time
4. My God loves me, His faithful love endures
And I will live like a child held in love secure
5. The joys of love as offerings now we bring
The pains of love will be lost in the praise we sing
Christmas is a time to love #C06 P.131
* Christmas is a time, Christmas is a time
Christmas is a time to love
Christmas is a time, Christmas is a time
Christmas is a time to love
1. We often start to worry and people get upset
If things don't all go right on Christmas day
What we should remember in all the push and shove
Cause Christmas is a time to love
( * )
2. May be things don't sound right or look the way they should
And may be they're not perfectly in tune
It really doesn't matter, let's keep our eyes above
Cause Christmas is a time to love
( * )
Prayer After Communion
P✠: Let us pray (pause)
Having received this pledge of eternal redemption, we pray, almighty God, that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer, so we may press forward all the more eagerly to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Prayer for the
100th Anniversary of
St. Margaret's Church
Merciful Father, we thank you for sending us enthusiastic missionaries who, jointly with Chinese priests, sowed the seeds of the Gospel a hundred years ago in this parish and established a community devoted to the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since we have inherited Your boundless love for all, we are committed to joyfully spread the love of the Sacred Heart and to actively build the church here.
As we celebrate the centenary of our parish church with gratitude, we pray that You send the Holy Spirit to assist us, grant us perseverance and patience, and guide us to become the salt and light of the world according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. May we bring the love experienced into our families and communities, as we spread the Gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever, Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
St. Margaret, pray for us!
P✠: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: May almighty God bless you, ✠ the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
P✠: Go forth, the Mass is ended.
All: Thanks be to God.
RECESSIONAL HYMN
Come, Lord! Maranatha (Advent Week 4)
1. Come to us, O Emmanuel!
Come ransom Israel that mourns in lonely exile here.
The Son of God soon will appear!
* Come, now, Emmanuel!
Come and bring us your peace.
Come, now, Emmanuel! Come to us; set us free.
Come now and bring us your peace.
2. Come now, O Wisdom, from on high; show us our failures and flaws.
Come to us now, O Lord of might!
Come to us ; bring us your law!
3. Come now, O Rod of Jesse's stem;
power is yours alone.
Come now, O Key of David, come.
Open your heavenly home!
4. Come now, O Dayspring from on high.
Make all the dark clouds decrease.
Come to us, O Desire of nations.
Be now our Prince of Peace.
