this day:
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one day back:
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one day forward:
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Today (Tuesday, December 30, 2025):
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Friday, December 26, 2025
Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
Vigils
Invitatory
I call aloud upon the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy hill;
I lie down and go to sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I do not fear the multitudes of people
who set themselves against me all around.
Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God;
surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face,
you will break the teeth of the wicked.
Deliverance belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing be upon your people!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
The newborn Christ, who today crowned blessed Stephen: come, let us adore him.
Antiphon
The newborn Christ, who today crowned blessed Stephen: come, let us adore him.
From all the darkness of the world
this day raised you to heavenly heights
in triumph over rack and judge,
restoring you to Christ in joy.
And now you share the Angels’ hymn,
all clad in robes of dazzling white:
you washed them clean in streams of blood
by bearing witness none could thwart.
Draw near with mercy and implore
that Christ incline his gracious ear
and in his reconciling love
take no account of all our faults.
Come down, abide with us awhile
to bring the gracious gifts of Christ,
that we with hearts weighed down by guilt
may find his pardon and relief.
Praise to the Father and the Son
and to the Spirit Paraclete,
who crown you with a lasting crown
in heaven’s glorious court on high. Amen.
First Nocturn
Antiphon 1
He delighted in the law of the Lord day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither;
everything they do shall prosper.
It is not so with the wicked;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
He delighted in the law of the Lord day and night.
Antiphon 2
Announcing the decree of the Lord, he was set upon his holy hill.
He whose throne is in heaven is laughing;
the Lord has them in derision.
Then he speaks to them in his wrath,
and his rage fills them with terror.
“I myself have set my king,
upon my holy hill of Zion.”
Let me announce the decree of the Lord:
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall crush them with an iron rod
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
And now, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Submit to the Lord with fear,
and with trembling bow before him;
lest he be angry and you perish;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are they all
who take refuge in him!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
Announcing the decree of the Lord, he was set upon his holy hill.
Antiphon 3
You mortals, know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful.
“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory;
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”
Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
Tremble, then, and do not sin;
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed sacrifices
and put your trust in the Lord.
Many are saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!”
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.
You have put gladness in my heart,
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep;
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
You mortals, know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful.
Antiphon 4
You defend him with your favor as with a shield, O Lord.
In the morning you hear my voice;
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
and evil cannot dwell with you.
Braggarts cannot stand in your sight;
you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O Lord, you abhor.
But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house;
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness,
because of those who lie in wait for me;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth;
there is destruction in their heart;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Declare them guilty, O God;
let them fall, because of their schemes.
Because of their many transgressions, cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But all who take refuge in you will be glad;
they will sing out their joy for ever.
You will shelter them,
so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
You defend him with your favor as with a shield, O Lord.
Antiphon 5
In all the world you have adorned him with glory and honor.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What is man that you should be mindful of him?
the son of man that you should seek him out?
You have made him but little lower than the angels;
you adorn him with glory and honor;
You give him mastery over the works of your hands;
you put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen,
even the wild beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
O Lord our Governor,
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
In all the world you have adorned him with glory and honor.
Antiphon 6
The Lord is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.
For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string,
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold the inhabited world;
his piercing eye weighs our worth.
The Lord weighs the righteous as well as the wicked,
but those who delight in violence he abhors.
Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be their lot.
For the Lord is righteous;
he delights in righteous deeds;
and the just shall see his face.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
The Lord is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.
Absolution
Lord Jesus Christ, hear the prayers of your people and have mercy on us, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessings
May the eternal Father give us an everlasting blessing. Amen.
May the only-begotten Son of God be pleased to bless us and help us. Amen.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and hearts. Amen.
May the Father and the Son bless us in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Readings
Second Nocturn
Antiphon 1
He will dwell in your tabernacle; he will abide upon your holy hill.
There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend;
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
In his sight the wicked is rejected,
but he honors those who fear the Lord.
He has sworn to do no wrong
and does not take back his word.
He does not give his money in hope of gain,
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be overthrown.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
He will dwell in your tabernacle; he will abide upon your holy hill.
Antiphon 2
You, Lord, set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
For you meet him with blessings of prosperity,
and set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him:
length of days, for ever and ever.
His honor is great, because of your victory;
splendor and majesty have you bestowed upon him.
For you will give him everlasting felicity
and will make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High, he will not fall.
Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies;
your right hand will seize all those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery furnace
at the time of your appearing, O Lord;
You will swallow them up in your wrath,
and fire shall consume them.
You will destroy their offspring from the land
and their descendants from among the peoples of the earth.
Though they intend evil against you
and devise wicked schemes,
yet they shall not prevail.
For you will put them to flight
and aim your arrows at them.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your might;
we will sing and praise your power.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
You, Lord, set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
Antiphon 3
He will receive a blessing from the Lord, and a just reward from the God of his salvation; such is the generation of those who seek the Lord.
“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?
and who can stand in his holy place?”
“Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.
“They shall receive a blessing from the Lord
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
“Who is this King of glory?”
“The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.”
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
“Who is he, this King of glory?”
“The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
He will receive a blessing from the Lord, and a just reward from the God of his salvation; such is the generation of those who seek the Lord.
Antiphon 4
The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him, and all who are true of heart will glory.
They sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
that they may shoot down the blameless from ambush;
they shoot without warning and are not afraid.
They hold fast to their evil course;
they plan how they may hide their snares.
They say, “Who will see us?
who will find out our crimes?
we have thought out a perfect plot.”
The human mind and heart are a mystery;
but God will loose an arrow at them,
and suddenly they will be wounded.
He will make them trip over their tongues,
and all who see them will shake their heads.
Everyone will stand in awe and declare God’s deeds;
they will recognize his works.
The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him,
and all who are true of heart will glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him, and all who are true of heart will glory.
Antiphon 5
Happy are they whom you choose, O Lord, and draw to your courts to dwell there.
To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come,
because of their transgressions.
Our sins are stronger than we are
but you will blot them out.
Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there!
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house,
by the holiness of your temple.
Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
O Hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the seas that are far away.
You make fast the mountains by your power;
they are girded about with might.
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the clamor of the peoples.
Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs;
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
you make it very plenteous;
the river of God is full of water;
You prepare the grain,
for so you provide for the earth.
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
You crown the year with your goodness,
and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,
and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks,
and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
let them shout for joy and sing.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
Happy are they whom you choose, O Lord, and draw to your courts to dwell there.
Antiphon 6
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
Lord, how great are your works!
your thoughts are very deep.
The dullard does not know,
nor does the fool understand,
that though the wicked grow like weeds,
and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
They flourish only to be destroyed for ever;
but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.
For lo, your enemies, O Lord,
lo, your enemies shall perish,
and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
But my horn you have exalted like the horns of wild bulls;
I am anointed with fresh oil.
My eyes also gloat over my enemies,
and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked who rise up against me.
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
they shall be green and succulent;
That they may show how upright the Lord is,
my Rock, in whom there is no fault.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
Absolution
May his loving kindness and mercy help us, who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessings
May God the Father Almighty be kind and merciful to us. Amen.
May Christ give us the joy of eternal life. Amen.
May God kindle the fire of his love in our hearts. Amen.
May the power of the Holy Trinity free us from all our faults and sins. Amen.
Readings
Third Nocturn
Antiphon
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Who peers through her windows
and listens at her doors;
who camps near her house
and fastens his tent peg to her walls;
Who pitches his tent near her,
and so occupies an excellent lodging place;
who places his children under her shelter,
and lodges under her boughs;
who is sheltered by her from the heat,
and dwells in the midst of her glory.
Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like a young bride she will welcome him.
She will feed him with the bread of learning,
and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
He will lean on her and not fall,
and he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
She will exalt him above his neighbors,
and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing,
and will inherit an everlasting name.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Who is he, that we may praise him?
For he has done wonders among his people.
Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
Let it be for him a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,
and to do evil and did not do it?
His prosperity will be established,
and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Antiphon
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Absolution
May the almighty and merciful Lord free us from the bonds of our sins. Amen.
Blessings
May he bless us, who lives and reigns without end. Amen.
May Jesus Christ bring us to the joy of paradise. Amen.
May the divine assistance remain with us always. Amen.
May the King of the Angels bring us to the assembly of the heavenly city. Amen.
Readings
Gospel Reading
Collect
Let us pray.
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen,
who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ,
who stands at your right hand;
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
Amen.
Conclusion
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.