This document contains the readings and prayers for a Catholic mass during Advent. It includes passages from Isaiah and Matthew's Gospel about God preparing a banquet and Jesus feeding large crowds. It also contains the Psalm about dwelling in God's house forever. The overall theme is preparing spiritually for Jesus' coming through prayer and reflection on scripture passages about God providing nourishment and salvation for his people.

1. Shape us in this
season of Advent in
readiness for the Word
made flesh. Through
the grace of hope we
pledge ourselves to
confront injustice.

3. Entrance antiphon
The Lord will come and he
will not delay. He will illumine
what is hidden in darkness
and reveal himself to all the
nations.

4. Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord
our God, by your divine power, so that
at the coming of Christ your Son we
may be found worthy of the banquet
of eternal life and merit to receive
heavenly nourishment from his hands.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and

5. The First Reading

6. A reading from the Book of the
Prophet Isaiah 25:6-10
On this mountain, the Lord of
hosts will prepare for all
peoples a banquet of rich

7. food. On this mountain he will
remove the mourning veil
covering all peoples, and the
shroud enwrapping all nations,
he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away the

8. tears from every cheek; he will
take away his people’s shame
everywhere on earth, for the
Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See,
this is our God in whom we

9. hoped for salvation; the Lord
is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice that
he has saved us.

10. The Word
of the Lord
Thanks be to God.

11. In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Psalm

12. The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Psalm

13. In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Psalm

14. He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of
darkness no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and
your staff; with these you give me
comfort. The Psalm

15. In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Psalm

16. You have prepared a banquet for
me in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with
oil; my cup is overflowing.
The Psalm

17. In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Psalm

18. Surely goodness and kindness
shall follow me all the days of my
life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I
dwell for ever and ever.
The Psalm

19. In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Psalm

20. Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is our judge, the
Lord our lawgiver, the Lord
our king and our saviour.
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation

21. The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
A Reading from the holy Gospel
according to Matthew 15:29-37
Glory to you, O Lord.
The Gospel

22. Jesus reached the shores of
the Sea of Galilee, and he went
up into the hills. He sat there,
and large crowds came to him
bringing the lame, the
crippled, the blind, the dumb

23. and many others; these they
put down at his feet, and he
cured them. The crowds were
astonished to see the dumb
speaking, the cripples whole
again, the lame walking and

24. the blind with their sight, and
they praised the God of Israel.
But Jesus called his disciples
to him and said, ‘I feel sorry
for all these people; they have
been with me for three days

25. now and have nothing to eat. I
do not want to send them off
hungry, they might collapse on
the way.’ The disciples said to
him, ‘Where could we get
enough bread in this deserted

26. place to feed such a crowd?’
Jesus said to them, ‘How
many loaves have you?’
‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few
small fish.’ Then he instructed
the crowd to sit down on the

27. ground, and he took the seven
loaves and the fish, and he
gave thanks and broke them
and handed them to the
disciples who gave them to
the crowds. They all ate as

28. much as they wanted, and they
collected what was left of the
scraps, seven baskets full.

29. The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.

30. Prayer for the earth
God of love, teach us to care
for this world, our common
home. Inspire government
leaders as they gather in
Paris:

31. to listen to and heed the cry of
the earth and the cry of the
poor; to be united in heart and
mind in responding
courageously; to seek the
common good and protect

32. the beautiful earthly garden you
have created for us, for all our
brothers and sisters, for all
generations to come. Amen