# The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Novena for Christmas

The Mysteries of the Sacred Infancy.
Prayers to be used during the Novena and Octave of Christmas, or at any other time.
V. Incline unto my aid, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, etc. Our Father, etc.
I. The Incarnation.
O most sweet infant Jesus, who for our salvation didst descend from the bosom of the eternal Father into the womb of the Virgin Mary, where, conceived by the Holy Ghost, thou didst take upon thee, O Incarnate Word, the form of a servant. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
II. The Visitation.
O MOST sweet infant Jeans, who by means of thy Virgin Mother, didst visit St. Elizabeth, and filling thy forerunner, St. John Baptist, with the Holy Spirit, didst sanctify him from his mother's womb. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
III. The Expectation of the Birth.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who, for nine months enclosed in the womb, didst wait for the time of thy birth, and didst meantime inflame the heart of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph with most ardent longings, and didst offer thyself to God the Father for the salvation of the world. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
IV. The Holy Nativity.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes, laid in the manger, glorified by angels, and visited by shepherds. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright,
 Immortal glory be to thee;
Praise to the Father infinite,
 And Holy Ghost eternally.
V. Christ is at hand.
R. O come, let us worship him.
Our Father, etc.
V. The Circumcision.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, circumcised when eight days old, and called by the glorious name of Jesus, and proclaimed both by thy name and by thy blood, to be the Saviour of the world. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
VI. The Adoration of the Kings.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who wert manifested to the three kings, who worshipped thee as thou didst lie on Mary’s breast, and offered to thee the mystic presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
VII. The Presentation.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, presented in the temple by the Virgin Mary, embraced by the holy Simeon, and revealed to the Jews by Anna the prophetess. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary. etc.
VIII. The Flight into Egypt.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, whom Herod sought to slay, carried by St. Joseph with thy Mother into Egypt, saved from death by flight, and glorified by the blood of the holy innocents. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us. O Lord.
​R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright,
 Immortal glory be to thee
Praise to the Father infinite,
 And Holy Ghost eternally.
V. Christ is at hand.
R. O come, let us worship him.
Our Father, etc.
IX. The Sojourn in Egypt
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who didst dwell as an exile in Egypt for seven years, where thou utteredst thy first words, and, loosed from thy swathing bands, didst first begin to walk upon this earth and, in the destruction of the idols, didst work in a hidden manner thy first miracles. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
X. The Return from Egypt
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who when Herod was dead, wast recalled out of Egypt into the land of Israel, and didst in the journey suffer many fatigues and hardships, and wert carried back by Mary and Joseph to the city of Nazareth. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
XI. The Life in the Holy House.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who in the holy house of Nazareth didst dwell most holily, and didst pass thy life in obedience, poverty, and toil, and as thou didst increase in years, didst manifest to God ​and men signs of wisdom and of grace. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
XII. The Disputing with the Doctors.
O MOST sweet infant Jesus, who wert taken to Jerusalem when twelve years old, wert lost by thy parents, and sought for by them with sorrow, and after three days wert found, to their exceeding joy with the doctors in the temple. Have mercy upon us.
V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy upon us.
Hail Mary, etc.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright,
 Immortal glory be to thee;
Praise to the Father, infinite,
 And Holy Ghost eternally.
Our Father, etc.
V. Christ is at hand.
R. O come let us worship him.
During the Year.
V. The Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt amongst us.
At Christmas and during the Octave, add Alleluia.
At the Epiphany and during the Octave,
V. Christ hath manifested himself to us. Alleluia.
R. O come, let us worship him. Alleluia.
LET US PRAY.
O ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Lord of heaven and earth, who didst reveal thyself to little ones, grant, we beseech thee, that while we duly celebrate and honour the most holy mysteries of thy Son, the infant Jesus, and worthily strive to imitate them, we ​may arrive at that heavenly kingdom which thou hast promised to little children, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.