Fifth Day
SUGGESTED READING: 2 Samuel 7:8-16 
Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people of Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed jud ges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you will lie down with fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him w ith the rod of men, with the stripes of sons of men; but I will not take my steadfast love from him... and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be made sure forever.' 


SUGGESTED READING: Judith 16:1-7,11,13,14 
Then Judith began this thanksgiving before all Israel, and all the people loudly sang this song of praise. And Judith said, Begin a song to my God with tambourines, sing to my Lord with cymbals. Raise to him a new psalm; exalt him and call upon his name. For God is the god who crushes wars; for he has delivered me out of the hands of my pursuers, and brought me into his camp, in the midst of the people. The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north; he came with myriads of his warriors; their multitude blocked up the valleys, their cavalry covered the hills. He boasted that he would burn up my territory, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash my infants to the ground and seize my children as prey, and take my young girls as booty. But the Lord has foiled them by the hand of a women. For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men, nor did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor did the tall giants set upon him; but Judith the daughter of Merari disarmed him with the beauty of her face. Then my oppressed people shouted for joy; for the weak people shouted and the enemy trembled; they lifted up their voices, and the enemy were turned back. I will sing to my God a new song: O Lord, you are glorious and great, wonderful in strength, invincible. Let all your creatures serve you, for you spoke and they were made. You sent forth your Spirit and it formed them; there is none that can resist your voice.

 
SUGGESTED READING: Mark 10:46-52 
They reached Jericho; and as he left Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus that is, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and cry out, "Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me!' And many of them scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David', have pity on me!" Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.' So they called the blind man over. 'Courage,' they said, 'get up; he is calling you.' So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, 'what do you want me to do for you?' The blind man said to him, 'My Master, let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has saved you.' And at once his sight returned and he followed him along the road. 


HOMILY OR GROUP REFLECTION 


Prayer to Our Lady of the New Advent
O Lady and Mother
of the One who was and is and is to come,
dawn of the New Jerusalem,
we earnestly beseech you,
bring us by your intercession
so to live in love
that the Church, the Body of Christ,
may stand in this world's dark
as fiery icon of the New Jerusalem.
We ask you to obtain for us this mercy
through Jesus Christ, your Son and Lord,
who lives and reigns
with the Father in the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
Amen. 


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 use 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. Amen.

 
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 


Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 






CLOSING HYMN: O Come, O Come Emmanuel 


1. O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God Appear. 


Refrain: REJOICE! REJOICE! EMMANUEL SHALL COME TO THEE, O ISRAEL! 


2. O come, Thou Wisdom from, on high, Who ord'rest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. 


3. O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times didst give the law, In cloud and majesty and awe. 


4. O come, Thou rod of Jesse's stem, From ev'ry foe deliver them That trust thy mighty pow'r to save, And give them vict'ry O'er the grave. 


5. O come, Thou key of David come, And open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path of misery. 


6. O come, Thou dayspring from on high And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadow put to flight. 


7. O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all human kind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our Prince of Peace. 
"O Radiant Dawn!"